Vodafone turns to Amazon Leo satellites to plug remote 5G gaps in Europe and Africa
Vodafone has inked an agreement with Amazon.com’s low Earth orbit satellite venture, Amazon Leo, aiming to hook up 4G and 5G mobile masts scattered across outlying areas in Europe and Africa. According to Vodafone, the setup can push download speeds to as much as 1 gigabit per second, with uploads reaching 400 megabits per second. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/vodafone-teams-up-with-amazons-satellites-connect-masts-europe-africa-2026-03-02/ The deal zeroes in on a persistent problem for mobile networks—moving data from the tower back to the operator's core. Rural backhaul isn’t cheap. Fiber might be miles out, and relying on fixed wireless relays only piles on more complexity and cost.
