Amazon to buy Globalstar to bolster Leo satellite business

Amazon announced plans to acquire satellite communications firm Globalstar, strengthening its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet division amid intensifying competition with SpaceX’s Starlink. The deal, revealed Tuesday, marks Amazon’s latest strategic move to accelerate its Kuiper Project, a $10 billion initiative to deploy 3,236 LEO satellites for global broadband coverage. Globalstar’s existing satellite spectrum and infrastructure will provide Amazon immediate regulatory and operational advantages, reducing deployment timelines for Kuiper’s commercial launch. This acquisition escalates the space-based internet race, pitting Amazon directly against SpaceX, which already dominates with over 5,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. Analysts suggest the purchase could fast-track Amazon’s entry into the consumer satellite internet market, though financial terms and regulatory approval timelines remain undisclosed.