FCC Approves Amazon Leo's $11.5 Billion Globalstar Deal in Challenge to Starlink

The United States Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon Leo's $11.5 billion acquisition of satellite operator Globalstar, clearing the way for Amazon to take on Elon Musk's Starlink in the race to connect phones directly from space. Under the deal, first announced in April, Globalstar will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon while keeping its corporate identity, operating as an affiliate of Kuiper Systems, the business now known as Amazon Leo.
Amazon gains Globalstar's roughly two dozen satellites and about 25 megahertz of mobile-satellite spectrum, which it plans to use for direct-to-device services that let ordinary smartphones connect to satellites without a dish. The FCC said the deal would improve coverage in areas unserved by terrestrial networks, strengthen emergency communications and boost competition.
Amazon Leo has already launched more than 300 satellites since April 2025 and aims to deploy about 3,200 in low Earth orbit by 2029, with commercial services planned by the end of 2026. Starlink, by contrast, already operates more than 11,000 satellites. Amazon has not updated when the Globalstar deal will close, though it was initially expected to complete in 2027.
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