Overview
- Amazon, which announced the agreement Tuesday, valued the cash‑and‑stock deal at about $11.57 billion with an election of $90 per Globalstar share or 0.3210 Amazon shares.
- Under a separate pact, Amazon Leo will power satellite features on iPhone and Apple Watch, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance.
- The transaction targets closing in 2027 and needs regulatory sign‑offs and deployment milestones, with roughly 58% of Globalstar voting power already committed to the merger.
- Amazon plans to start its next‑generation direct‑to‑device satellite service in 2028 as it races SpaceX’s Starlink, which has more than 10,000 satellites compared with Amazon’s roughly 200.
- Globalstar brings two dozen operational satellites, mobile‑satellite spectrum, and an Apple‑backed plan to expand to 54 satellites, which could extend coverage for users in areas without reliable cell service.