FCC clears Amazon Leo's $11.5B Globalstar deal, opening path to phone-to-satellite service
The FCC approved Amazon Leo's $11.5 billion Globalstar purchase on October 27, giving it a D2D satellite fleet, MSS spectrum and the Apple satellite agreement.
Edited by Dot Matrix, Editor-in-Chief
The Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon Leo’s $11.5 billion acquisition of Globalstar on October 27, giving Amazon its way into direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service, the kind that connects ordinary phones to satellites. 1
What Amazon gets: Globalstar’s existing satellite operations, infrastructure and assets, including its mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum licenses. Globalstar flies about two dozen low-Earth orbit satellites built around its partnership with Apple and serves more than 780,000 end-user devices in more than 120 countries. 1
That Apple link is the part most phone owners will recognize. Globalstar provides the emergency satellite connectivity on compatible iPhones and Apple Watches, and as part of the deal, Leo will power satellite services for supported models. Apple also held a 20 percent stake in Globalstar before the takeover. 2
The approval also covers what comes next. Globalstar was developing a new platform called C-3, made up of 48 operational satellites and six on-orbit spares. The FCC’s Space Bureau recently granted US market access for C-3, including 1610MHz-1618.725MHz for Earth-to-space links and 2483.5MHz-2500MHz for space-to-Earth service links. The FCC said Amazon Leo may use that grant to build and launch the system once the deal closes. 1
Amazon Leo’s bigger plan is a next-generation D2D platform, targeted for 2028, supporting a mix of “advanced” voice, text and data services. The FCC is still reviewing Leo’s application for a D2D system of more than 5,105 satellites. That application has not been approved. 1
The deal was not unopposed. Yippy, a former Globalstar partner, tried to block it over an alleged contract dispute. Globalstar said it has not provided services to Yippy for years and accused Yippy of using the merger review as leverage in an unrelated fight. The FCC sided with Globalstar and denied Yippy’s petition. Public Knowledge, New America’s Open Technology Institute and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation backed the deal, arguing the Globalstar assets will make Leo a more effective D2D competitor. 1
The FCC said the transaction would help Amazon enter D2D services and create a satellite operator able to offer fixed and mobile services to residential, business and government customers. It also said the deal is likely to benefit the public by improving data coverage in underserved areas. 12
The field Amazon is entering is crowded. SpaceX/Starlink leads D2D, with AST SpaceMobile and Elveo (the combination of Lynk and Omnispace) also in the race. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are advancing a D2D joint venture that is viewed as a hedge against SpaceX. 1
On raw fleet size, Leo trails. It says it has 400 satellites in orbit and aims for more than 3,000 in the near future, against SpaceX’s 11,000. Amazon recently added six new Arianespace launches. 2
Who this is for: nobody gets a new plan or a new bill from this ruling. It matters to iPhone and Apple Watch owners who use satellite emergency features, and to anyone watching whether a third satellite network can compete with Starlink and the carrier joint venture.
Our read: Amazon bought a working D2D service, an Apple customer and licensed spectrum in one move, which is a faster route than building from scratch. The harder test is the 2028 platform and the 5,105-satellite application still sitting at the FCC. Until that is approved and launched, Leo is a satellite operator with one big partner and a long runway.
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