FCC Clears Amazon's $11.5 Billion Globalstar Acquisition

The US Federal Communications Commission has approved Amazon's $11.5 billion acquisition of satellite operator Globalstar, clearing the last major regulatory obstacle in the e-commerce giant's push into direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services.

The FCC's Space Bureau signed off on the purchase of roughly 25MHz of Globalstar's mobile satellite spectrum, alongside Amazon's takeover of the company itself, its subsidiaries and its satellite infrastructure. The deal, announced earlier this year, gives Amazon full control of one of the few operators holding licensed mobile satellite spectrum in the United States.

What exactly did the regulator approve?

The clearance covers three connected elements:

• Amazon's acquisition of Globalstar in its entirety, including subsidiaries and ground infrastructure
• The transfer of approximately 25MHz of mobile satellite spectrum
• Amazon's access to Globalstar's C-3 system, a 48-satellite constellation designed to expand network capacity

The FCC approved the C-3 constellation itself only last week, timing that suggests the regulator worked through the operator's upgrade plan and the acquisition as a single file rather than two separate proceedings.

One condition attaches to the deal. Amazon must continue to comply with existing agreements between Globalstar and US defence and policing agencies. The FCC did not publicly detail the scope of those commitments, and what they constrain in practice — capacity allocation, priority access, or something narrower — remains unstated in the approval notice.

The regulator's stated rationale is broad. It said the transaction could improve coverage in underserved areas, strengthen emergency communications and grow industrial and enterprise data services. Those are projections, not commitments; the order itself binds Amazon to the defence and policing agreements, not to specific coverage milestones.

FCC chair Brendan Carr framed the decision in competitive terms. "By approving this deal, the FCC has empowered Amazon Leo to deliver fast, next-generation satellite broadband services, increase competition and help communities stay connected," he said in a statement.

Where does this leave Amazon against Starlink?

The competitive gap remains substantial. SpaceX's Starlink, the market leader, already operates more than 11,000 satellites. Amazon Leo is still building toward its first commercial launch, targeting service availability by the end of this year. The figure that matters for the D2D race is 2028, the year Amazon has set for its next-generation D2D system — two years after the anticipated 2027 close of the Globalstar deal.

To support that system, Amazon is seeking permission to launch up to 5,105 additional satellites dedicated to D2D services. That filing remains pending, meaning the FCC's approval of the acquisition does not yet translate into a fully authorised constellation plan. Buying Globalstar secures the spectrum and the C-3 satellites; it does not by itself secure the orbital authorisation for the larger D2D architecture.

Globalstar also brings an existing retail relationship with real weight: the company provides connectivity for emergency calling and location features on Apple devices. Whether Amazon retains that partnership at current terms after closing — and Apple has said little publicly — is one of the unresolved commercial questions hanging over the deal. Neither company has commented on the contract's fate following the FCC decision.

Spectrum policy momentum

The approval lands amid a busy stretch for US spectrum policy. The FCC is scheduled to vote on 29 October — the day after this clearance — on proposals to auction additional wireless spectrum and open up more frequencies for D2D services. A favourable vote would widen the runway for exactly the category Amazon is buying into, and would apply equally to competitors.

For now, the transaction's practical effect is straightforward: Amazon holds licensed mobile satellite spectrum, a 48-satellite capacity expansion is authorised, and the path to a 2027 close is clearer. The 2028 D2D deadline — and the pending 5,105-satellite application that underpins it — is where the deal's promises will be tested.