Amazon.com Inc. today debuted a ruggedized antenna that will enable commercial aircraft to access its internet satellites.
The Amazon Leo Aviation Antenna can download up to 1 gigabit of data per second and upload 400 megabits. According to the company, those speeds make the device the fastest customer terminal currently in production.
The Leo Aviation Antenna’s debut comes a few days after Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy revealed that the company has launched more than 200 internet satellites to date. They’re part of a low-Earth orbit constellation called Amazon Leo that is set to come online in mid-2026. Further down the line, the company plans to launch thousands of additional satellites that will help boost coverage.
Amazon’s new aircraft antenna shares certain components with Leo Ultra, a roof-mounted terminal that offers the same maximum speeds. The company stated at the time of the latter device’s debut that it’s powered by a custom chip. Additionally, both the Leo Ultra and the Leo Aviation Antenna are based on a full-duplex phased array design.
Phased array antennas don’t broadcast signals in all directions but rather focus them on a specific target. That helps improve signal strength, which in turn boosts connection speeds and reduces interference. The quality increase is made possible by a phenomenon known as constructive interference.
A phased array antenna comprises up to hundreds of data transmission modules. Those modules produce radio waves that constructively interfere, or collide, with one another to form a single wave. Slight differences in the timing which the modules generate signals focus the combined wave in a specific direction. That approach makes it possible to steer radio beams without incorporating moving parts into the antenna design.
The Leo Aviation Antenna is a full-duplex device, which means that it can transmit and receive data at the same time. A built-in modem translates the satellite signals picked up by the antenna into digital data that the computers inside an airliner can understand.
The device’s modem and other components are housed in a flat chassis designed to withstand harsh weather. It’s 58 inches long, 30 inches wide and just 2.6 inches high, a design detail intended to minimize drag. Reducing drag, an aerodynamic force that slows down aircraft, lowers fuel consumption. Airlines can attach the antenna to the exterior of their planes using specialized connectors.
“Amazon Leo can connect a full plane of passengers and crew with speeds that handle any activity seamlessly, whether passengers want to game, watch a movie, listen to music, or collaborate with colleagues on a project,” said Trevor Vieweg, the director of global business for Amazon Leo.
Several airlines have already signed up to use the internet constellation. One of them is Delta Airlines Inc., which plans to bring Leo connectivity to 500 of its planes in 2028.
Support our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.
About SiliconANGLE Media
SiliconANGLE Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation, uniting breakthrough technology, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of SiliconANGLE, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — with flagship locations in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange — SiliconANGLE Media operates at the intersection of media, technology and AI.
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands that reach 15+ million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。