[Image: ismagilov/istockphoto]

Last November, Dallas-based Hunt Energy inked an agreement with Amazon Leo, a low Earth orbit constellation of broadband satellites that aims to be a rival to SpaceX’s Starlink, and launched Dallas-based Skyward Technologies “to empower others with strong and reliable connectivity.” Today, Skyward announced that it has opened reservations for its early access program to the Amazon Leo service.

Beginning today, the program will give businesses, enterprise IT teams, and organizations the opportunity to secure priority access to Amazon Leo’s high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service ahead of full commercial availability.

Like Starlink, Amazon Leo is a next-gen broadband service delivered through a dense constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The service is designed to provide reliable, high-speed internet connectivity to businesses and organizations in areas underserved or unreachable by traditional terrestrial infrastructure, and engineered to support businesses of all sizes by delivering enterprise-grade, low latency connections with throughput of up to 1 Gbps per terminal.

Getting in line for Leo

Photo: Amazon

Skyward said Early Access participants will receive notification of availability and service activation when Amazon Leo goes live in their geographic area. In addition, participants will get access to dedicated onboarding support, hardware accessories to assist with install, and monitoring services for subscriptions, Skyward said.

Skyward President Justin Green said connectivity “should not be a privilege determined by geography or infrastructure investment.”

“Amazon Leo is built to deliver enterprise-grade satellite internet everywhere businesses operate,” Green added in a statement, “with the reliability, speed, and support that business operations require. Skyward is committed to simplifying connectivity and driving value with the newest satellite technology, often delivering higher bandwidth at a lower price point than many of the technologies used today.”

Hunter Hunt, co-CEO of Hunt Consolidated and CEO of Hunt Energy, said his company knows firsthand “the critical importance of maintain connectivity in remote parts of the world.”

“Skyward is a natural fit among our Hunt Energy companies,” Hunt added, “and we’re excited at the new possibilities it will offer to customers.”

Reducing signal latency

Skyward noted that Amazon Leo operates in low-Earth orbit, significantly closer to the surface than traditional geostationary satellite systems. That results in substantially reduced signal latency and improved throughput, Skyward said, addressing one of the primary limitations that has historically made satellite internet unsuitable for latency-sensitive enterprise applications including cloud computing, video conferencing, real-time data transmission, and critical operational systems.

Skyward said it has worked closely with Amazon Leo throughout the development process to ensure “a seamless experience from day one.” Beyond the Amazon Leo hardware itself, Skyward said it has “designed, built, and curated a full ecosystem of compatible accessories”—including batteries, solar panels, power accessories, adapters, mounts, and more. All of that is purpose-selected to work with Amazon Leo’s system, Skyward said.

The Dallas company said this end-to-end approach “means organizations can deploy with confidence, reducing the complexity of sourcing and vetting compatible equipment on their own.”

Reservations for the Early Access Program are available on a first-come, first-served basis, Skyward said, with pricing details and commercial terms to be communicated to Early Access participants prior to service activation in their area.

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