Amazon Strikes $11.5 Bn Satellite Deal to Rival Starlink
Amazon has agreed a $11.5bn (£8.5bn) deal to acquire satellite operator Globalstar, marking a major step in its effort to compete with Starlink.
The company, founded by Jeff Bezos, said it will merge Globalstar’s operations with its own satellite network, Amazon Leo, to expand its ability to deliver mobile connectivity from space.
Amazon has already launched more than 240 satellites as part of a planned constellation of 3,000. By acquiring Globalstar, it will gain access to valuable mobile spectrum, allowing it to beam signals directly to smartphones worldwide.
Panos Panay, a senior vice-president at Amazon, said the deal would help extend mobile coverage «to every corner of the planet». The company plans to launch satellite-powered mobile services by 2028, with capacity to serve hundreds of millions of users.
The move puts Amazon in direct competition with Elon Musk, whose Starlink network currently dominates the market with more than 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.
Globalstar has traditionally provided emergency communications and connectivity in disaster zones. It also has a partnership with Apple, which invested over $1bn in 2024 to support satellite-based SOS features on iPhones and Apple Watches.
The deal, expected to close in 2027, is likely to face regulatory scrutiny as competition intensifies in the rapidly growing satellite communications sector.
