The Federal Communications Commission has waived the mid‑2026 deadline that required Amazon to launch half of its Leo satellite broadband constellation. The original schedule called for 1,616 of the 3,232 low‑Earth‑orbit satellites to be in orbit by July 30, 2026, or the company would lose authorization for the remainder. The waiver buys the tech giant crucial time to schedule additional launches and secure launch contracts.

Amazon petitioned in January to push the milestone to July 2028 or drop it entirely. The FCC, citing the lack of competition—SpaceX’s Starlink remains the sole LEO broadband provider in the U.S.—issued a waiver that removes any 50 percent deployment deadline while keeping the final rollout target of July 2029. It also safeguards Amazon’s future spectrum rights.

The agency highlighted Amazon’s commitment of more than $10 billion toward Leo, including ground infrastructure and manufacturing capacity. By clearing the 2026 hurdle, the FCC hopes a second large constellation will pressure Starlink on pricing and service quality. The cleared schedule lets Amazon align its manufacturing pipeline.