The Amazon Globalstar acquisition deal marks a major move in the race to dominate satellite-based internet services. Amazon will acquire satellite telecommunications company Globalstar for about $11.57 billion, thereby gaining a stronger foothold in the fast-growing low-Earth-orbit market.
The deal also positions Amazon more directly against Elon Musk’s Starlink. By acquiring Globalstar, Amazon gains access to an existing satellite network and valuable radio frequency spectrum licenses.
Globalstar already operates about two dozen low-Earth orbit satellites. That infrastructure gives Amazon an immediate strategic advantage as it expands its own satellite communications plans.
The agreement, made public on Tuesday, April 15, also offers Globalstar shareholders a choice between $90 per share in cash or Amazon stock of equal value. That structure underlines the scale of Amazon’s long-term bet on space-based connectivity.
This is just cool to see. @Amazonleo has gone from 27 to 29 sats on Atlas V through hardware optimizations. We’ll see that on LA-05, set for tonight. Then our heavy-lift campaign continues on Ariane 6, plus New Glenn and Vulcan on the horizon. More satellites per launch means we… pic.twitter.com/68igHBpFBo
— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) April 3, 2026What Amazon Gains From Globalstar
The acquisition gives Amazon more than satellites. It also gives the company access to spectrum licenses critical to building and scaling communications services.
Globalstar’s network already powers the “Emergency SOS via satellite” feature on iPhones and Apple Watches. Amazon and Apple have another agreement under which Amazon Leo will continue to provide satellite-based safety services, including emergency text, location sharing, and roadside assistance for eligible devices.
Amazon’s satellite communications arm, Amazon Leo, plans to launch its second-generation direct-to-device network from 2028 onward. The company already has more than 200 satellites in orbit and aims to deploy about 3,200 by 2029.
That timeline shows Amazon is thinking beyond this acquisition. It is building a larger ecosystem designed to compete in both consumer connectivity and satellite-enabled safety services.
This deal clearly targets the competitive gap between Amazon and Starlink. While Starlink has moved quickly in the satellite internet market, Amazon is using Globalstar’s assets to accelerate its own push.
As a result, the acquisition could reshape the competitive landscape in low-Earth-orbit communications. It also signals that Amazon wants a larger role in the future of direct-to-device and emergency satellite services.
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Globalstar CEO Paul Jacobs said low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations offer the most effective path to connecting users and devices anywhere, anytime.
The 58% of Globalstar’s voting shares have already approved the deal. Even so, the transaction is expected to close in 2027, subject to regulatory clearances and satellite deployment benchmarks.
