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.”
