Amazon has applied to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to launch a constellation of more than 5,000 satellites by 2028 to provide direct-to-device mobile services, including voice calls, messaging, data, and emergency connectivity. The move marks Amazon’s biggest step yet into satellite-based mobile communications and positions the company to compete more directly with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The planned network will use radio spectrum acquired through Amazon’s $11.6 billion purchase of Globalstar and is expected to cost an estimated $13 billion to $20 billion to deploy, the Financial Times reports. While Amazon already has hundreds of broadband satellites in orbit, it remains far behind Starlink, whose parent company SpaceX operates more than 10,000 active satellites. The expansion is expected to intensify competition in the growing satellite-to-smartphone market alongside rivals such as AST SpaceMobile.
