The news
On July 27, 2026, Amazon (AMZN) said its Amazon Leo direct-to-device system had filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch up to 5,105 satellites that would connect compatible phones directly from space, setting up a potential rival to SpaceX in satellite-to-phone service.
Amazon said the Amazon Leo Direct-to-Device (D2D) System would bring voice, messaging, data and emergency services to places beyond the reach of cell towers, with satellite deployment beginning in 2028. Satellite Today reported that Amazon submitted the application on July 24 and announced it on Monday, July 27.
The plan depends on Globalstar (GSAT). Amazon said the satellites are designed to use Globalstar's spectrum, which it is acquiring through a merger agreement the companies announced on April 14, 2026. Under that deal, Amazon takes over Globalstar's satellite operations and its mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum licenses. Globalstar stockholders can elect $90 in cash or 0.3210 Amazon shares per share, with the stock value capped at $90, and the companies expect the deal to close in 2027.
According to Amazon, the satellites would fly in five orbital shells between 510 and 580 kilometers in altitude: three covering populated mid-latitudes and two reaching high-latitude and near-polar regions. Phones would connect over L-band and S-band frequencies, while Ka-band and V-band links would carry traffic to Amazon's ground stations. Unlike bent-pipe satellites that simply relay signals, Amazon said its craft would process signals in orbit and use laser links between satellites and beam-hopping to aim capacity where it is needed.
Amazon described the service as a complement to mobile networks that fills gaps where towers are impractical, too costly or vulnerable to disruption, and said it plans to keep working with mobile network operators. Amazon Leo already has partnerships with Vodafone, DirecTV, South African provider Herotel and Australia's National Broadband Network, plus an agreement to power satellite features such as Emergency SOS on supported Apple iPhone and Apple Watch models.
The D2D network would be separate from Leo's broadband constellation, which Amazon said had more than 390 satellites in orbit, enough to begin rolling out fixed service across initial latitude bands later in 2026.
The numbers
- Proposed D2D satellites
- Up to 5,105
- Orbital shells (altitude)
- 5 (510-580 km)
- D2D deployment start
- 2028
- Leo broadband satellites in orbit (July 27)
- More than 390
- Globalstar offer per share
- $90 cash or 0.3210 Amazon shares (capped at $90)
- Expected Globalstar deal close
- 2027
Why CEOs should care
For mobile operators and enterprise connectivity buyers, the filing adds a deep-pocketed contender in satellite-to-phone service. SpaceX already sells Starlink Mobile through T-Mobile in the U.S., according to The Next Web, while Amazon's system is not scheduled to begin deploying until 2028 and relies on a Globalstar acquisition that has not closed. Buyers signing coverage-extension or satellite messaging contracts now should favor shorter terms, exit options and device-compatibility checks so they can compare offers when Amazon's service becomes real.
For operations leaders and CFOs, Amazon's pitched uses map directly onto field budgets: fleet management, remote worksites, supply chains, IoT sensors and disaster response. Treat 2028 as the start of satellite deployment, not a service launch date. Ask vendors which handsets and modules will work; Amazon says the system is designed for phones with satellite-capable chipsets built in, so device refresh cycles will shape when employees can actually use it.
For CISOs and boards, direct-to-device coverage is a resilience layer for when ground networks fail, but it also creates a new network path to govern. Continuity plans should spell out how satellite messaging is authenticated and logged. Boards should also weigh regulatory risk: the constellation needs FCC authorization, and the Globalstar deal needs its own regulatory approvals before Amazon controls the spectrum.
The bigger picture
Direct-to-device service is becoming the next contest in satellite connectivity. The Next Web reported that the D2D fleet would be separate from and additional to Amazon's first-generation broadband constellation, and calculated that the combined fleet could exceed 8,300 satellites if fully deployed. When it announced the Globalstar deal in April, Amazon said the complete Leo network would have capacity for hundreds of millions of customer endpoints, extending its reach from broadband terminals for homes and businesses to the phones people already carry.
What happened next
On July 30, 2026, Amazon's second-quarter earnings release said Leo had completed four more launches since the previous earnings report, bringing the broadband constellation to nearly 400 satellites, enough to begin initial service in 2026. On August 18, Amazon filed the final information statement and prospectus for the Globalstar merger with the Securities and Exchange Commission, listing FCC approval among the conditions for closing.
On August 25, SDxCentral reported that the FCC had accepted the D2D application for filing and set deadlines for public comment and petitions. The milestones to watch are the comments and any petitions against the application, the Globalstar closing expected in 2027, and the first D2D launches in 2028.
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