Uzbekistan is preparing to bring Amazon Leo online, a move that could give remote parts of the country their first serious shot at fast satellite internet. Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov said the government expects to sign an agreement in the coming days, with a launch possible by the end of 2026. Starlink still hasn’t launched there, so Amazon has a clear opening.
That pitch is straightforward: better connectivity for mountain, desert, and isolated communities where terrestrial networks are expensive or impractical. Shermatov also suggested Amazon Leo could outperform Starlink on quality and competition-related factors. That is a tall order, but it also reflects how satellite internet is becoming a two-horse race rather than a novelty act.
Agreement expected this week
The announcement came during the Tashkent International Investment Forum. According to Shermatov, once the deal is signed, Amazon Leo terminals will be allowed for free use inside the country, which should remove the usual friction around early-stage satellite services: pilots, permissions, and endless waiting.
Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit project is still ramping up, but the company says it already has hundreds of fully finished satellites waiting for launch at payload processing facilities in Florida. That matters because availability, not branding, is what decides whether a satellite network feels real or merely promotional.
Ariane 6 has already boosted Amazon Leo
The network is also moving faster than many expected on the launch side. Earlier, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket set a new payload record by carrying 36 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, a sign that the constellation is leaving the PowerPoint phase behind.
- Service: Amazon Leo low-Earth-orbit satellite internet
- Expected agreement: in the coming days
- Possible launch in Uzbekistan: by the end of 2026
- Current status of Starlink in Uzbekistan: not launched
What Amazon gets from Uzbekistan
For Amazon, Uzbekistan is not just another map pin. It is a test case in a region where governments want better coverage without waiting years for fiber to catch up. If the rollout works, the company gets a visible foothold in Central Asia and a useful argument that its network can do more than chase Starlink after the fact.
The open question is whether the promise translates into enough capacity, pricing discipline, and regulatory smoothness to make the service actually useful on the ground. If Amazon Leo arrives on schedule, Starlink may no longer have the luxury of being the obvious default in markets like this.