According to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the proposed system would combine Amazon’s existing infrastructure with the satellite assets and wireless spectrum of Globalstar, the satellite communications company Amazon is in the process of acquiring, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
Amazon announced in April that it would acquire Globalstar in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion. The transaction is expected to close in 2027, with deployment of the direct-to-device network planned to begin in 2028.
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The technology allows mobile phones and compatible devices to connect directly to satellites whenever conventional wireless networks are unavailable, extending connectivity to remote or underserved areas.
Amazon said the service is intended for people living, traveling or working beyond the reach of existing mobile infrastructure. The network could also support emergency communications, search-and-rescue missions, remote industrial sites, vehicle fleets and supply chains operating in isolated locations.
The proposal marks another major step in Amazon’s broader satellite strategy as it expands Project Kuiper, its low-Earth-orbit broadband network designed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Amazon has already placed more than 390 satellites into orbit and expects to begin offering initial broadband internet services later this year.
The company must deploy its first-generation constellation of 3,232 satellites by July 2029 after the FCC recently granted a waiver extending an interim deployment deadline that would have required Amazon to launch 1,600 satellites by the end of July.
If approved, Amazon’s direct-to-device network would compete directly with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile, which provides satellite-to-cell connectivity in the United States through its partnership with wireless carrier T-Mobile.
