Amazon Leo, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband initiative previously known as Project Kuiper, has finalized a distribution agreement with Uzbekistan’s national telecommunications operator, Uztelecom. The deal, signed on September 22, 2026, during the ICT Week Uzbekistan event in Tashkent, establishes a framework for high-speed satellite internet to reach remote regions of the country by late 2026.
Under the terms of the agreement, Uztelecom and its subsidiary, UZ-SAT, will serve as authorized distributors for the service. The partnership is designed to bridge the digital divide in areas where traditional fiber-optic infrastructure is geographically or economically difficult to deploy. Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, stated that the Amazon Leo service is intended to complement existing terrestrial networks rather than replace them, providing a redundant and accessible layer of connectivity for the nation’s infrastructure.
Hardware Tiers and Performance Specifications
The rollout will feature three distinct hardware tiers tailored to different user needs, ranging from individual consumers to large-scale enterprises. While exact monthly subscription pricing for the Uzbek market has not yet been finalized, the technical specifications for the terminals have been established:
- Leo Nano: A compact, entry-level terminal designed for portability and residential use, offering speeds up to 100 Mbps.
- Leo Pro: A mid-tier terminal intended for standard small-to-medium businesses and high-demand residential consumers.
- Leo Ultra: A high-performance terminal capable of delivering speeds up to 1 Gbps, targeted at enterprise operations, government agencies, and data-heavy industrial applications.
Satellite Constellation and Regional Competition
Amazon Leo has currently launched nearly 400 satellites as it works toward a target constellation of more than 3,000 units. The service is presently in a private preview testing phase with Amazon employees and selected enterprise customers. The late 2026 launch window in Uzbekistan places Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, which is also scheduled to begin operations in the country during the same calendar year.
According to reports from the Trend News Agency, the integration of satellite services is a component of Uzbekistan’s broader digital transformation strategy. The presence of two major LEO providers by the end of 2026 is expected to provide competitive options for government and commercial sectors, particularly in the agricultural and mining regions where terrestrial connectivity remains limited.
While the “Amazon Leo” branding is now consistently used in official government and corporate communications in the region, the project continues to leverage the foundational technology developed under the Project Kuiper program to maintain its 2026 deployment schedule.
