Overview
- Financial Times reported Wednesday that Amazon is negotiating to acquire Globalstar at roughly $9 billion, Globalstar shares jumped on the news, and no agreement has been finalized.
- A key snag is Apple’s 20% stake and its contract that reserves about 85% of Globalstar’s network for iPhone Emergency SOS, satellite Messages, and Find My.
- Buying Globalstar would feed into Amazon’s Leo satellite internet effort, which has launched about 180 to 200 satellites and trails SpaceX’s Starlink fleet of more than 9,500 with over 9 million users.
- Amazon recently asked the FCC for more time to meet a July 2026 requirement to launch roughly 1,600 satellites, which adds pressure to secure capacity faster.
- Globalstar offers an operating LEO network, ground stations, and Band 53/n53 spectrum, and it previously explored a sale that included early talks with SpaceX in 2025.