Amazon has gained a powerful partner in its attempt to challenge SpaceX’s Starlink, with AT&T becoming the first major U.S. telecom provider to offer Amazon Leo satellite broadband to enterprise and public-sector customers.
Under the agreement, AT&T will integrate Leo with its fiber and 5G infrastructure rather than sell satellite internet as a standalone product. Customers will receive installation, equipment, support and billing through AT&T, giving Amazon an established enterprise sales channel as its satellite network moves toward commercial service. AT&T outlined the partnership in its official announcement.
Amazon Leo remains much smaller than Starlink. Amazon has deployed roughly 392 satellites, with about 315 operational, compared with more than 11,000 Starlink satellites, according to MarketWatch. Amazon ultimately has approval for a constellation of 3,232.
AT&T Gives Amazon a Shortcut Into Enterprise Broadband
AT&T says the partnership targets companies needing backup connectivity, remote-site broadband and resilient networks across industries such as mining, energy, agriculture, construction and emergency response.
The advantage is scale: AT&T already serves nearly 2.5 million businesses, giving Amazon something satellite operators often spend years building—an existing corporate distribution network.
Amazon Leo is also being tied directly into AWS. An earlier Amazon and AT&T partnership combined AT&T fiber, AWS cloud services and Leo satellite connectivity, potentially making the network attractive to companies moving data between remote facilities, cloud platforms and AI workloads.
That is a strategically important angle because Amazon can bundle satellite connectivity with cloud infrastructure in a way few competitors can match.
Starlink Still Has an Enormous Head Start
Starlink remains far ahead in scale, serving consumer, aviation, maritime, enterprise and government customers worldwide.
SpaceX also controls its own launch infrastructure. Reusable Falcon 9 rockets allow it to deploy Starlink satellites rapidly, while Amazon still relies on several outside launch providers.
Starlink is increasingly important to SpaceX’s finances. SpaceX reported $4.29 billion of Starlink connectivity revenue in Q2, helping total company revenue reach $7.81 billion. Coinpaper’s recent SpaceX earnings coverage showed how central Starlink has become to the business.
Amazon is still expanding aggressively. Its planned acquisition of Globalstar would add satellite assets and spectrum for future direct-to-device services, according to Amazon’s official acquisition announcement.
The AT&T deal does not erase Starlink’s lead. But it gives Amazon Leo something strategically valuable: direct access to millions of business customers that SpaceX can no longer assume are uncontested.
