Apple and Amazon Ink Satellite Deal Amid Globalstar Takeover
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| Source: Mastodon | Original article
Apple and Amazon have formalised a partnership that ties Apple’s satellite‑enabled services to Amazon’s newly acquired Globalstar constellation. The deal, announced on Tuesday, follows Amazon’s $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, a move designed to boost its fledgling Leo satellite network. Under the agreement, Apple will continue to route its emergency‑SOS and low‑bandwidth data traffic through Globalstar’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, while Amazon gains a high‑profile customer for its Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) service.
The partnership matters because it secures Apple’s satellite functionality—first introduced on the iPhone 14—in the wake of the ownership change. Apple users can expect uninterrupted access to emergency messaging, location sharing and future low‑data features without waiting for a new carrier contract. For Amazon, the Globalstar buy gives it immediate spectrum, a fleet of 48 operational satellites and a proven ground‑segment infrastructure, accelerating its ambition to rival SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile and OneWeb’s services. The collaboration also signals a rare alignment between two of the world’s biggest tech firms in the increasingly contested satellite‑communications market.
What to watch next are the regulatory clearances that both the Globalstar merger and the Apple‑Amazon service agreement must clear in the United States, Europe and Asia. Analysts will track how quickly Amazon integrates Globalstar’s assets into the Leo network and whether Apple expands satellite use beyond emergency SOS to include text messaging or IoT connectivity. A rollout timeline for the D2D service, likely slated for late 2026, will reveal whether Apple can leverage the partnership to launch new consumer features before competitors such as Starlink Mobile roll out comparable capabilities.
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