Over the weekend, Amazon requested permission from the FCC to launch additional Project Leo satellites designed to offer mobile service from space. Amazon plans to launch 5,105 low Earth orbit satellites for the project and partner with mobile providers to offer the service.
The update follows news from April that Amazon acquired Globalstar, bringing the company’s infrastructure and assets to Amazon, which included mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum licenses with global authorizations. Amazon says Globalstar’s satellites will operate alongside existing Leo satellites and the new constellation to increase connectivity and make Direct-to-Device (D2D) service possible
“There are billions of customers around the world living in places beyond the reach of existing communications networks,” Amazon shared in a blog post. “The core Amazon Leo system will help bridge this divide by providing high-speed, low-latency broadband to a wide range of consumer, enterprise, and government customers, with customers connecting to the network using one of several compact, high-performance antennas: Leo Nano, Leo Pro, and Leo Ultra.”
Amazon plans for the service to be available for personal use, as well as “disaster response, global fleet management, remote operations across worksites and supply chains, IoT connectivity for remote sensors, and emergency messaging” in areas where service is otherwise unavailable.”
The plan is similar to Starlink’s partnerships with T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T to use satellites to provide mobile coverage in areas that are typically dead zones, due to not being covered by traditional cell towers.
Amazon has already announced partnerships with operators including Vodafone, DIRECTV, Herotel, and Australia’s National Broadband Network and plans to expand to more mobile providers, saying “The Leo D2D System will complement existing mobile networks, filling coverage gaps where terrestrial deployment is impractical, cost-prohibitive, or vulnerable to disruption.”
Amazon plans to begin deploying its D2D network in 2028.