Amazon is seeking federal approval to launch a new network of as many as 5,105 satellites designed to connect mobile phones directly from space, sharply expanding the company’s ambitions in the growing satellite communications market.
The proposed Amazon Leo Direct-to-Device system would deliver voice calls, text messaging, mobile data and emergency communications in areas beyond the reach of conventional cell towers. Amazon has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission and plans to begin deploying the low Earth orbit satellites in 2028.
The network would operate through partnerships with mobile carriers, allowing compatible phones and other cellular devices to connect by satellite when terrestrial coverage is unavailable. That could extend service across rural communities, remote travel areas and regions where hurricanes, wildfires or other disasters have damaged ground-based networks.
Amazon’s plan is closely tied to its pending acquisition of satellite communications company Globalstar. Under a definitive merger agreement announced in April, Amazon would acquire Globalstar’s satellite operations, infrastructure and globally authorized mobile-satellite spectrum licenses, giving the company an established foundation for its direct-to-device expansion.
Amazon and Apple have also reached an agreement for Amazon Leo to power satellite services on supported iPhone and Apple Watch models, including emergency messaging and roadside assistance. That agreement signals that Amazon’s planned network is already being positioned for use by mainstream consumer devices.
The direct-to-device satellites would operate alongside Amazon Leo’s broader broadband network, which is being developed to connect homes, businesses, government customers and transportation systems through dedicated satellite antennas.
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The Amazon Leo proposal places Amazon in more direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink and AST SpaceMobile as satellite operators race to make voice, messaging and mobile data available beyond the reach of cell towers. Amazon says the combined network could eventually support hundreds of millions of connected devices worldwide.
The plan still requires regulatory approval, and deploying thousands of additional satellites would require an extensive series of launches. But the scale of Amazon’s filing—and the Globalstar and Apple agreements behind it—suggests that direct-to-phone satellite service is rapidly moving from emergency backup technology toward a much larger global communications business.
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