TL;DRAmazon filed with the FCC to launch 5,105 satellites for direct-to-device connectivity. It combines Kuiper and Globalstar ($11.6B acquisition). D2D deployment starts 2028. Competes with SpaceX Starlink Mobile.
Amazon has asked the FCC to approve the launch of up to 5,105 internet satellites for a direct-to-device network that would send connectivity straight to smartphones without requiring a cell tower. The Saturday filing described a constellation combining Amazon’s existing Kuiper infrastructure with assets from Globalstar, the satellite operator Amazon announced plans to acquire in April for $11.6 billion. Deployment is expected to begin in 2028.
Direct-to-device is the next battleground in satellite internet. SpaceX already offers the service via Starlink Mobile in partnership with T-Mobile in the US, using spectrum acquired from EchoStar. Amazon’s filing targets users who are “unserved or underserved” by existing wireless providers, plus emergency operations, remote worksites, fleet management, and supply chain connectivity. Amazon currently has more than 390 Kuiper satellites in orbit, enough to begin initial Leo internet service later this year, and is required to deploy all 3,232 first-generation satellites by July 2029.
