FCC Grants Kuiper's Request to Extend or Waive Interim Milestone

The Federal Communications Commission's Space Bureau granted, with conditions, the request of Kuiper Systems (Amazon Leo) for a limited waiver of the FCC’s space station milestone deployment requirements for the Amazon Leo Gen1 Constellation (“Gen1 Authorization”).  Amazon Leo is poised to offer cutting-edge satellite services worldwide as a new competitor-at-scale in low-Earth orbit, providing high-speed broadband to customers in unserved and underserved areas. In resolving this issue of novel complexity during a unique period when the FCC’s deployment milestone rules remain under review for fundamental change, the Space Bureau crafted a remedy tailored to ensure that Americans quickly benefit from multiple, facilities-based providers of next-gen satellite services. Specifically, the Bureau imposes upon Amazon Leo conditions that incent the company to continue deploying satellites at a rapid clip by temporarily demoting the spectral priority of satellites launched after the relevant July 2026 milestone deadline, until and unless Amazon Leo builds those satellites at a faster pace.