Amazon Weighs $9bn Globalstar Acquisition
Amazon is in talks to buy Globalstar, the satellite communications company, in a deal that would value the group at around $9 billion, the Financial Times reported on 1 April. The acquisition, if completed, would materially strengthen Amazon's position in satellite-delivered internet, a market currently dominated by SpaceX's Starlink network.
Amazon's satellite internet effort, known as Amazon Leo, has approximately 200 satellites in orbit, according to CNBC, leaving it well behind Starlink's operational constellation. Acquiring Globalstar's spectrum rights and infrastructure could shorten that gap considerably, giving Amazon both licensed spectrum and an established operational base rather than building capacity from scratch.
The deal carries a notable complication. Globalstar is the satellite partner underpinning Apple's emergency SOS connectivity feature on recent iPhone models. Any change of ownership would place Apple in a position where a key infrastructure supplier is controlled by a competitor across multiple product categories, a dynamic that Barron's noted could give Apple reason to seek alternative arrangements or object to the transaction. Whether Apple has contractual protections that could slow or constrain a deal is not yet clear from available reporting.
MarketWatch noted that both Amazon and SpaceX have been identified as potential acquirers of Globalstar, suggesting competitive interest in the asset beyond Amazon alone. SpaceX acquiring Globalstar would further consolidate Elon Musk's dominance in commercial satellite services; Amazon acquiring it would represent the most significant step yet in Jeff Bezos's effort to build a credible orbital internet business.
Amazon has not confirmed the talks. The discussions remain at an exploratory stage and may not result in a transaction.
