Amazon wants to close the gap in low Earth orbit with Starlink by aiming to acquire the satellite telecommunications group Globalstar.
The e-commerce giant founded by Jeff Bezos is in talks to buy Globalstar in a $9 billion deal that would help it develop the Amazon Leo satellite internet service (formerly Project Kuiper). This was revealed by the Financial Times, which reported that the parties are still negotiating some complex aspects of the agreement after lengthy talks.
A potential acquisition would allow Amazon to accelerate its challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Starlink satellite internet service. No deal has been finalized so far and, according to the newspaper, discussions could still change direction or fail.
Currently, Elon Musk’s satellite internet division makes SpaceX the largest satellite operator in the world. Amazon’s other rivals include the Canadian Telesat, which has yet to launch satellites, and OneWeb, which has built a network of 620 satellites now owned by the French satellite company Eutelsat, offering its internet service mainly to governments and businesses. But the question is whether these players will actually be able to catch up with Starlink, which counts over 10,000 satellites (half of those in orbit).
WHAT IS GLOBALSTAR
Globalstar shares jumped 15% after the FT report on Amazon considering an acquisition, reports CNBC. Founded in 1991, Globalstar has reached a market capitalization of about $9 billion.
THE NUMBERS
The company reported annual revenues of $273 million in its latest annual results, up 9% compared to 2024. Operating profit was $7.4 million in 2025, after a slight loss the previous year, the FT also notes.
STOCK SURGE
In the past year, the stock has risen about 230% amid rumors of a possible acquisition. Last October, Bloomberg reported that the satellite telecommunications company was considering a possible sale and had initiated preliminary talks with Musk’s SpaceX.
WHERE AMAZON LEO STANDS
A deal with Globalstar could strengthen Amazon Leo, the space internet service launched by the Seattle tech giant.
The company intends to build a constellation of about 7,700 satellites, although it has experienced delays in reaching key milestones in its deployment program. In January, Amazon requested an extension from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to meet the deadline requiring it to launch about 1,600 satellites by July 2026.
So far, the company founded by Bezos has launched 212 satellites, still far fewer than the more than 10,000 active satellites managed by SpaceX. The tech giant plans to expand the Project Kuiper constellation, recently renamed Amazon Leo, reaching 500 satellites in 2026 and 3,600 in the coming years, positioning itself in competition with Starlink.
In April 2022, Amazon signed contracts for 38 launches with ULA; 18 launches with the European company Arianespace; and 12 launches with Blue Origin, with an option for 15 additional launches with the private company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
According to the British financial newspaper, Amazon aims to have about 700 satellites in space by mid-year but has indicated that launch capacity shortages are slowing the service’s development.
THE BOOST PROVIDED BY THE SATELLITE TELECOM COMPANY
The acquisition of Globalstar’s current constellation of 24 LEO satellites, its ground station network spanning 24 global gateways, and its licensed spectrum in over 120 countries would provide Amazon with an immediate operational base that years of internal development could not replicate quickly enough, argues Capacityglobal.
APPLE UNCERTAINTY
However, beyond the uncertainties about the outcome of the negotiations, the Cupertino giant would also complicate the deal.
Apple invested $1.5 billion in Globalstar in 2024, acquiring a 20% stake. As part of the agreement, Globalstar committed to reserving 85% of its network capacity for the iPhone maker to send satellite messages outside cellular coverage. Therefore, a potential acquisition of Globalstar by Amazon would also require negotiations between the e-commerce giant and the Cupertino giant.
