Amazon is spending more than $11 billion to buy Globalstar’s satellite network and take over its deal with Apple.
Amazon is spending more than $11 billion to buy Globalstar’s satellite network and take over its deal with Apple.
Amazon has made a deal to buy Globalstar’s low-Earth orbit satellite network for $11.57 billion, snapping up its spectrum licenses, operations, and assets to combine with its upcoming Leo internet satellite constellation. Apple owned 20 percent of Globalstar, and as a part of the deal, Amazon will continue to support satellite services like Emergency SOS for iPhones and Apple Watches, and develop future services that connect them to its Leo satellite network. The deal is currently scheduled to close in 2027, pending approval by regulators.
Globalstar currently provides direct-to-device services to the iPhone and Apple Watch. That’s different than Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (aka, Starlink Mobile) service, which ties connectivity to carriers in order to provide messaging services. Starlink is partnered with T-Mobile in the US, with additional partners extending globally. Amazon’s announcement suggests it wants to have the best of both worlds, saying it plans to work with mobile network operators “to deliver on that vision and extend reliable, high-speed connectivity to customers, no matter where they are in the world.”
SpaceX said it had more than 650 cellular-equipped satellites in orbit, out of about 10,000 Starlink satellites, at the end of 2025. Globalstar’s low Earth orbit network has about 25 satellites in operation. Last month, Amazon said it was on track to double its annual launch rate for Leo, which currently has over 200 satellites in orbit as it builds up to a network of over 3,200 satellites.
“In addition to the agreement with Globalstar, Amazon and Apple signed an agreement to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features. Globalstar currently partners with Apple to power satellite service on iPhone 14 or later, as well as Apple Watch Ultra 3, allowing users to text emergency services, message friends and family, request roadside assistance, and share their location. With the new Amazon-Apple agreement, Amazon will continue to support iPhone and Apple Watch models currently using Globalstar’s existing and planned upcoming low Earth orbit satellite constellations, being manufactured by MDA Space, and collaborate with Apple on future satellite services using Amazon Leo’s expanded satellite network.”
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