• Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire Globalstar for around $9bn to accelerate its LEO ambitions.
  • Apple’s 20% stake and capacity agreements complicate the deal and reflect deeper ecosystem competition.

What happened

Amazon seeks Globalstar to accelerate Kuiper deployment, leveraging existing satellites and spectrum while navigating Apple’s stake and service agreements.

Amazon is in advanced discussions to acquire satellite operator Globalstar in a deal valued at $9bn,. The move is aimed at strengthening its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite initiative, known as Project Kuiper (now “Leo”), as it seeks to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Globalstar operates LEO satellites delivering voice, data and asset-tracking services across enterprise, government and consumer markets. The company also provides critical infrastructure for Apple’s satellite-enabled iPhone features, following a $1.5bn investment that gave Apple a 20% equity stake and access to up to 85% of Globalstar’s network capacity.

For Amazon, the deal would complement its planned 3,200-satellite constellation, of which around 180 satellites are already in orbit. By contrast, Starlink has deployed more than 9,500 satellites and serves over nine million users globally, underlining the scale gap Amazon is attempting to close.

However, negotiations remain ongoing and complex. Apple’s stake means Amazon must engage directly with a key competitor in consumer ecosystems, while no agreement has yet been finalised and talks could still collapse.

Why it’s important

The deal underscores a shift from deployment to control of spectrum, scale and users, as tech giants compete to define the architecture of global connectivity.

The reported move highlights intensifying competition in satellite broadband, where infrastructure scale, spectrum access and anchor partnerships are becoming decisive advantages.

Apple’s embedded position in Globalstar demonstrates how ecosystem control and service integration can influence ownership outcomes, suggesting that future connectivity may be shaped as much by strategic alliances as by satellite deployment alone.

At a broader level, the situation illustrates how the next phase of LEO competition is shifting towards integrated models that combine infrastructure, devices and services. In this context, strategic alliances and pre-existing partnerships are likely to play as significant a role as network deployment in shaping how global connectivity evolves.

Also read: Amazon’s $9bn Globalstar bid targets Starlink, Apple a key factor

Also read: Starlink challenges traditional ISPs as adoption rises