Amazon's Globalstar Grab Adds iPhone Connectivity to Its Starlink Pursuit
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| Source: Mastodon | Original article
Amazon has sealed an $11.57 billion deal to acquire Globalstar, the U.S. satellite‑service provider whose L‑band spectrum and two‑dozen low‑Earth‑orbit satellites will be folded into Amazon’s Project Leo network. The transaction, announced on Thursday, also secures a long‑standing agreement that lets Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch tap Globalstar’s satellite links for emergency messaging and, for the first time, routine data connectivity.
The move deepens Amazon’s bid to build a global broadband constellation that can rival SpaceX’s Starlink. By marrying Globalstar’s legacy assets with the dozens of Kuiper‑derived satellites already slated for launch, Amazon gains immediate coverage in the Americas, Europe and parts of Asia, while the spectrum deal clears a regulatory hurdle that has slowed other LEO projects. For Apple, the partnership expands the iPhone’s “satellite‑enabled” feature set beyond SOS alerts, potentially allowing users to send texts, emails or location data without cellular service—a capability that could reshape mobile usage in remote regions.
The acquisition also marks the second phase of the collaboration first reported on 15 April, when Apple and Amazon announced a joint satellite venture amid the Globalstar takeover. At that time, the focus was on a high‑level partnership; today Amazon confirms that the iPhone integration will be built directly into Project Leo’s architecture, with beta testing slated for late 2026.
What to watch next: U.S. and EU regulators must clear the $11.5 billion merger, a process that could stretch into 2027. Engineers will need to harmonise Globalstar’s legacy protocols with Amazon’s next‑gen Ka‑band payloads, a technical challenge that will determine how quickly the iPhone service can roll out. Analysts will also monitor pricing strategies, as Amazon seeks to undercut Starlink while offering Apple a differentiated satellite experience. The success of the integration will be a litmus test for whether Amazon can translate its satellite ambitions into a consumer‑facing product that reshapes connectivity on the world’s most popular smartphone.
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