Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE:DAL) signed a deal with Amazon.com Inc’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Leo to bring low-Earth orbit satellite Wi-Fi to 500 aircraft starting in 2028. The deal snubs SpaceX’s Starlink as the rocket company reportedly moves toward filing what could be the largest IPO ever.
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Why Amazon Over Starlink
Delta chose Amazon Leo because of its existing relationship with Amazon Web Services, which already powers the airline’s internal systems. The service promises download speeds up to 1 gbps per aircraft and will be free for all SkyMiles members.
The catch is Amazon’s Leo has roughly 200 satellites in orbit. Starlink has over 10,000 and more than 10 million paying subscribers.
Amazon has been testing its service with businesses and is “months away” from starting commercial service. The service will begin in small regions and …
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