Mucahithan Avcioglu
27 July 2026•Update: 27 July 2026
Amazon has asked US regulators for permission to launch as many as 5,105 satellites for a direct-to-device communications network, according to a regulatory filing.
The company said in an application submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the proposed network would combine Amazon’s existing infrastructure with the satellites and wireless spectrum of satellite operator Globalstar.
Amazon announced in April that it planned to acquire Globalstar in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion. The transaction is expected to close in 2027, while deployment of the direct-to-device network is scheduled to begin in 2028.
Direct-to-device technology enables smartphones and other devices to connect directly to satellites when conventional mobile towers are unavailable.
Amazon said the service would target people living, traveling or working in areas that are unserved or underserved by existing wireless operators.
The network could also support emergency and search-and-rescue operations, as well as remote worksites, vehicle fleets and supply chains that are difficult to connect through terrestrial networks.
Amazon is separately expanding its low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband network, which is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service.
The technology company has placed more than 390 satellites into orbit and said it expects to begin providing initial broadband services later this year.
Amazon is required to deploy its planned first-generation constellation of 3,232 satellites by July 2029 after the FCC recently waived an interim deadline requiring it to have launched 1,600 satellites by July 30.
The direct-to-device network would compete with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile service, which provides direct-to-cell connectivity in the US through a partnership with telecommunications operator T-Mobile.
