Starlink midweek updates: Amazon Leo's first Vulcan launch gets a date, Ofcom weighs the 2GHz satellite band and why the install matters

Wednesday 28 October 2026

Welcome to this week's midweek round-up from Space Internet Solutions. Here's what's new for UK homes and businesses since Saturday, followed by the part that makes the biggest difference day to day: getting your system fitted properly by a PLEO (Professional Low Earth Orbit) installer. Customers buy the service, but they remember the install.

Amazon Leo: first Vulcan launch now set for 13 November

On Saturday we reported that Amazon's first Leo mission on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket (LV-01) had slipped from 29 October to an unconfirmed date in November. Today Amazon updated its mission page with a firm target: Friday 13 November 2026, pending range approval, from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The flight will carry 40 Amazon Leo satellites, Amazon's largest Leo payload so far, and it is the first of 38 Leo missions Amazon has booked on Vulcan. It is also Vulcan's return to flight after a solid rocket booster problem, and the boosters will fly with an improved nozzle design. There is still no confirmed UK launch date or UK pricing for Amazon Leo. When there is, we'll cover it here.

What it means for you: if you're waiting on Amazon Leo, keep an eye on the 13 November launch, but there's no need to put off reliable internet for the winter. Starlink is available across the UK now, and a well-planned installation (a sound bracket, a tidy and sealed cable route and a properly placed router) can be reused or adapted whichever service you choose later.

Ofcom and the UK's 2GHz mobile satellite band

Ofcom is working out what happens to the UK's 2GHz mobile satellite band, the spectrum that suits direct-to-phone satellite services. Analysys Mason reported on 23 October that the current rights held by EchoStar and Viasat run out in May 2027, that Ofcom has proposed extending them for three to five years, and that UK mobile operators would like a second satellite supplier alongside Starlink in that band.

Direct-to-phone services such as O2 Satellite are great for staying in touch where there's no mobile signal, but they are designed for messages, maps and light data. They are not a substitute for home or business broadband. For streaming, video calls, CCTV, card machines or a working office, you still need a properly installed dish at the property.

Why a PLEO install matters

Dishes cable-tied to gutters, cables squashed through window frames and routers tucked away in the wrong corner of the house are still common. The equipment is excellent; the problems nearly always come down to how it was fitted. A PLEO installer treats your Starlink or Amazon Leo system as a proper installation, not a box to unpack. Here's what that means for UK customers:

• Custom installs, surveyed first: we check the sky view for obstructions, the best mounting point and the cleanest cable route before anything is drilled, and we leave safe access for future maintenance.

• Quality brackets and masts: wall, chimney, pole and ground mounts chosen for the building and the UK weather, fixed securely so the dish stays put through winter winds.

• Cat6 made to fit: cables cut and terminated to the exact length needed, neatly clipped and sealed and weatherproofed where they enter the building.

• Bespoke setups and full network services: mesh Wi-Fi, wired access points, outbuilding links and point-to-point bridges, so the signal reaches every room, office, workshop, barn or unit that needs it.

• Every kind of property: listed buildings (placed sensitively with minimal impact), holiday lodges, static caravans, residential homes and commercial premises, including multi-unit sites.

• Health and safety first: proper access equipment, risk assessments and safe working at height on every job.

Space Internet Solutions has trusted PLEO installers nationwide across the UK for Starlink and Amazon Leo, so you get the same standard of work wherever your property is.

This week in short

• Amazon Leo's first Vulcan launch (LV-01) is now targeted for Friday 13 November 2026, carrying 40 satellites. There's still no UK date or price.

• Ofcom is deciding the future of the UK's 2GHz mobile satellite band, with current rights ending in May 2027 and UK operators keen on a second supplier alongside Starlink.

• Phone-to-satellite services are for staying in touch. For proper broadband, the dish and how it's fitted still matter most.

Need it fitted correctly? Look for a professional installer at spaceinternetsolutions.com.

Sources: Amazon Leo mission updates (aboutamazon.com, updated 28 October 2026), United Launch Alliance Vulcan Leo 1 mission page, SpaceNews (28 October 2026) and Analysys Mason (23 October 2026).