Amazon Asks FCC to Approve 5,105-Satellite Direct-to-Mobile Network, Challenging SpaceX
Amazon Leo would beam voice, data and emergency service straight to phones starting in 2028, leveraging Globalstar spectrum — if Blue Origin's grounded rockets can get it to orbit.
In Brief
- Amazon Leo filed an FCC application to operate up to 5,105 low-Earth-orbit satellites providing voice, messaging, data and emergency service directly to mobile phones, with launches starting in 2028
- The plan leverages spectrum from Amazon’s Globalstar acquisition and integrates with the Leo broadband network, escalating competition with SpaceX’s $20 billion EchoStar spectrum play
- T-Mobile’s CEO says satellite usage is just 0.0002% of network traffic, and Amazon still lacks a working rocket after New Glenn’s launch pad anomaly
Amazon filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for a license to operate a new network of up to 5,105 satellites providing service directly to mobile phones, with plans to start launching them in 2028, TechCrunch reports. The constellation would deliver voice, messaging, data and emergency connectivity to smartphones and other devices beyond the reach of cell towers, according to the Amazon Leo press release cited by Engadget.
The filing comes several months after Amazon acquired the satellite operations of Globalstar, the company that provides emergency connectivity to Apple iPhones and Internet-of-Things devices. Amazon plans to leverage Globalstar’s radio spectrum to expand those offerings and integrate them with Leo, its broadband internet satellite network, which has deployed more than 390 first-generation satellites to date.
Amazon Leo said it will begin rolling out “fixed service” later this year and has secured partnerships with telecom operators including Vodafone, DirecTV, Herotel and Australia’s National Broadband Network, per Engadget.
Amazon’s satellite filing turns up the heat on SpaceX
The application sets up a direct collision with SpaceX, which has dominated both satellite internet and satellite-to-mobile service. SpaceX will spend $20 billion buying spectrum from EchoStar to build out its mobile constellation — one of the key growth strategies described in its IPO filings — and earlier this year filed its own FCC application for a constellation of up to a million satellites.
The two giants are already sniping. Amazon asked the FCC to deny SpaceX’s million-satellite application, calling it a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan.” FCC chair Brendan Carr responded on X that Amazon should focus on its own satellite efforts instead of filing petitions against other companies. Monday’s filing suggests Amazon took at least half of that advice.
Money is Amazon’s ace. TechCrunch notes the company held $255 billion in current assets as of the end of April, meaning it can keep investing in its network even as SpaceX’s capital needs look more pressing ahead of its anticipated IPO.
The demand question nobody has answered
It’s still unclear how valuable satellite-to-mobile connections will be. Most offer limited bandwidth suitable only for texting or emergencies, and the CEO of T-Mobile — which sells satellite connectivity powered by SpaceX — said this spring that customer interest is minimal. “Just to give you an example, we look at our data in May, and satellite usage is 0.0002% of our total network usage. That’s three zeros,” Srini Gopalan said at a May conference. “We’re seeing it largely focused on the national parks.”
Amazon also has a rocket problem. It doesn’t own a launch fleet and had planned to depend on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, but the New Glenn rocket has been delayed and is now grounded following a May anomaly that destroyed its launch pad. Amazon already had to request an extension to its FCC license deadline for the broadband network.
Still, the direct-to-mobile market is where every constellation operator is converging: it turns billions of existing phones into satellite terminals without new hardware. If Amazon can pair Globalstar’s spectrum with Leo’s scale — and find enough rockets — the 2028 timeline would put it in orbit just as the satellite-to-phone market either proves itself or fizzles in the national parks.
FAQ
What did Amazon file with the FCC?
An application from its Amazon Leo subsidiary to operate up to 5,105 low-Earth-orbit satellites providing voice, messaging, data and emergency services directly to mobile phones out of cell-tower range, with launches starting in 2028.
How does this compete with SpaceX?
SpaceX dominates satellite-to-mobile service and is spending $20 billion on EchoStar spectrum for its own constellation; Amazon’s filing pits Globalstar spectrum plus its Leo network directly against that plan.
What obstacles does Amazon Leo face?
Weak proven demand — T-Mobile says satellite is 0.0002% of its network usage — and no working heavy rocket, with Blue Origin’s New Glenn grounded after a May launch pad anomaly.
