Amazon is partnering with Uzbekistan’s regional internet provider, Uztelecom, to use its Leo satellite service to connect remote and hard-to-reach areas. The deal matters because mountainous terrain and deserts make traditional cable deployment difficult, while satellite links could extend coverage beyond Uztelecom’s existing reach.

Uztelecom already connects 96 per cent of the country’s communities, but Leo is intended to fill remaining gaps. The service has not launched publicly and is being tested with employees and selected business customers ahead of a planned rollout later this year. Amazon has about 400 satellites, compared with more than 11,000 operated by SpaceX’s Starlink, although it plans to exceed 3,000; it has also pursued partnerships involving airline connectivity and Globalstar.