How would Apple’s satellite plans be affected if Amazon acquires Globalstar?

According to the claim made by the Financial Times, Amazon bought the satellite company Globalstar for approximately 9 billion dollars Negotiating to buy at valuation. Reuters quoted the second source who confirmed the news on April 1 and wrote that negotiations were continuing and the parties did not comment publicly. This claim is based on Amazon’s Amazon Leo It could directly strengthen the low-Earth orbit internet initiative you previously knew as Project Kuiper. Especially when Apple’s share in Globalstar comes into play, we can say that we are faced with a bigger picture than an ordinary acquisition rumor.

The critical point here is that Globalstar is not just a satellite operator. The company is one of the cornerstones of Apple’s satellite connectivity service on iPhones. According to Globalstar’s official 8-K filing dated November 2024, Apple is part of the company’s structure that holds certain satellite and network assets. $400 million in return 20 percent got a share. In the same period, Reuters reported that Apple also $1.1 billion allocated cash resources and the total commitment to 1.5 billion dollars He wrote that he had arrived. If Amazon wants to move forward with this acquisition, it will have to balance at the same table not only with Globalstar management but also with Apple’s strategic interests.

The picture is already big on the Amazon front. The company states on its official pages that the Amazon Leo network 3,236 satellites He clearly says he’s targeting a constellation. Amazon also launched the first 27 satellites in April 2025, added another 32 satellites with the Ariane 64 mission in February 2026, and announced in its third-quarter 2025 results that the fleet will to 150+ satellites announced that it had arrived. Therefore, it does not seem surprising that Amazon turned to a player like Globalstar, which has ready spectrum, ground stations and operational experience. In fact, such a move could give Amazon not just more satellites, but faster corporate access and regulatory leverage.

Globalstar has not been idle in the last two years. The company announced its third-generation mobile satellite system plan in September 2025, and in this context 48 additional satellites with about 90 new ground station antennas announced that he would establish Again, in the company’s 2025 financial documents, it is stated that the companies entering the delivery process to support the current system 17 backup satellites plan is also included. So Amazon’s interest may extend not just to the existing iPhone SOS infrastructure but also to a broader space and ground network that will grow over the next few years. However, it should be noted that at this stage there is no official offer, signed agreement or confirmation from the companies.

The Apple equation makes it difficult

If this claim turns out to be true, you should not read this as just news of an acquisition between two companies. Here, Amazon wants to gain scale faster against SpaceX Starlink, while Apple wants to maintain the backbone of its satellite service on the iPhone. According to the details quoted by Reuters, Apple’s 20 percent share and strategic connection make the negotiations more complicated. On the other hand, Starlink still maintains its position as the most visible player in the market today, so we do not find Amazon’s desire to incorporate a ready-made infrastructure unreasonable. To be honest, if this acquisition takes place, not only will there be a capacity increase in the satellite internet race, but a new era may begin in which the Apple-Amazon competition moves into space.