Tag: GlobalStar
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Eight Globalstar Satellites Pass On-Orbit Tests, Clearing a Condition of Amazon’s $11.57 Billion Buyout
The spacecraft launched on August 15 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and have spent nearly three months in commissioning. The announcement marks the formal transition from early commissioning to active orbit raising and deeper payload testing. These satellites form the next generation of Globalstar’s HIBLEO constellation, the network behind Apple’s Emergency SOS feature, which has…
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FCC Clears Amazon’s $11.5 Billion Globalstar Acquisition, Opening Path to Satellite Phone Service
Amazon Leo is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, formerly known internally as Project Kuiper before the company adopted the permanent brand name in November 2025. The system is designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet and data services to residential, business, and government customers in areas where terrestrial networks are limited, unreliable, or nonexistent.…
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Amazon Files for 5,105-Satellite Direct-to-Phone Constellation, Targeting 2028 Launch
The filing builds on Amazon’s move earlier this year to acquire Globalstar’s satellite network, along with Globalstar’s existing arrangement to provide direct-to-device satellite services for Apple devices. Amazon says the new constellation will use Globalstar’s spectrum and plans to collaborate with Apple on future satellite services using the expanded network. Amazon says it plans to…
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Amazon Files for 5,105-Satellite D2D Constellation
Is Amazon Building a Separate D2D Megaconstellation on Globalstar Spectrum? 5,105 satellites. That is the scale of the Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite constellation Amazon has formally filed with the FCC under the name "Amazon Leo," operating in spectrum the company intends to acquire through its pending Globalstar deal. The filing, reported by Via Satellite on July…
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Amazon, Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat Launch NGSO Satellite Trade Association
Amazon, Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat have formed the SpaceConnect Association, a new trade organization representing non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) operators. The association said it will work with governments, international institutions and industry stakeholders to promote a competitive satellite communications market and expand global connectivity. Former National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator David Redl has…
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Amazon and Apple vs. Starlink: Globalstar satellite acquisition comes with a big iPhone bonus
Amazon announced an agreement Tuesday to acquire Globalstar, adding the satellite operator’s fleet, spectrum, and Apple partnership to its growing Amazon Leo network. (Amazon Image) Amazon isn’t just buying Globalstar — it’s inheriting Apple’s satellite roadmap. The Seattle-based company’s agreement to acquire the satellite operator behind Apple’s iPhone Emergency SOS feature promises to give it…
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MDA Space Reports Record 2025 Revenue Driven by Satellite Systems Growth
MDA Space reported record revenue for fiscal year 2025, driven largely by strong demand in its satellite manufacturing business. The Ontario-based company posted annual revenue of CA$1.63 billion ($1.19 billion), representing a 51% increase from the previous year and landing at the upper end of its projected range of CA$1.5 billion to CA$1.65 billion. MDA…
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Elon Musk tries to make Apple and mobile carriers regret choosing Starlink rivals
SpaceX’s $17 billion deal to buy spectrum licenses from EchoStar should help Starlink satellites deliver better service to smartphones, and it might give a few large corporations second thoughts about their current partnerships with Starlink competitors. The spectrum, combined with a SpaceX plan to launch up to 15,000 new and improved satellites for cellular service,…
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FCC plans to set up a new framework for connecting satellites with smartphones
Lynk Global has demonstrated its satellite-to-smartphone network in Mongolia. (Lynk Global Illustration) The Federal Communications Commission plans to set up a new regulatory framework to facilitate hookups between satellite operators and wireless companies, with the objective of connecting smartphone users in remote or underserved areas of the world. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, adopted today,…
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For Apple and other companies, satellites plus cellphones add up to a new frontier
Apple’s iPhone 14 is built to link up with satellites for an emergency SOS. (Apple Video) Today’s big iPhone reveal adds Apple to the list of companies aiming to combine the power of satellite communications with the power of everyday cellphones — a list that includes other tech heavyweights such as T-Mobile and SpaceX, Amazon…