2026年4月15日，Amazon宣布以11.57 billion美元（约1.157×10^10美元）收购Globalstar，并延续与Apple的卫星紧急通信合作。Globalstar目前在轨有约24颗卫星，提供低轨卫星能力与可直接对终端传输的频谱授权。Amazon以此取得已取得监管预批的频谱资产，可加速其直接连接能力与物流追踪布局。
Amazon的Project Leo（前身为Project Kuiper）目前在轨有241颗卫星，并规划自本月起至2027年持续发射，目标是建置可支撑全球「数亿」客户端的千颗级星座。Direct-to-device（卫星直达终端）可减少对地面蜂窝塔依赖，但在海洋、乡村或基础设施不足地区改善覆盖，必须提高在轨密度。Amazon表示与Apple的合作覆盖现有与未来功能，故iPhone 14及之后机型、Apple Watch Ultra 3短期内不会立即改变。
在竞争端，Starlink仍以近10,000颗卫星领先；截至1月，Elon Musk据报向FCC申请再增发1,000,000颗卫星，且市场传闻SpaceX目标估值达1.75 trillion美元，其中Starlink约1 trillion美元。如此规模化上天加剧轨道拥挤与空间碎片风险，天文学界特别警惕Kessler syndrome。FCC亦要求Amazon在2026年7月30日之前发射其卫星至少50%，Amazon已申请展延，显示监管节点仍可能成为进入2027年关键约束。
On April 15, 2026, Amazon announced a $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar (about 1.157×10^10 USD) while continuing emergency-satellite cooperation with Apple. Globalstar, with about 24 satellites already in orbit, provides low-Earth-orbit assets and licensed spectrum for direct-to-device links. By buying already pre-cleared spectrum and network rights, Amazon can accelerate deployment of direct connectivity and strengthen logistics and asset-tracking use cases.
Amazon’s Project Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) currently has 241 satellites in orbit, with additional launches planned from this month through 2027. The stated ambition remains a constellation in the thousands, capable of serving hundreds of millions of endpoints worldwide. Direct-to-device service reduces reliance on terrestrial towers, but coverage in oceans, rural zones, and low-infrastructure regions improves only as orbital density rises. Amazon and Apple said existing and future features remain covered, so iPhone 14 and later models plus Apple Watch Ultra 3 are not expected to change immediately.
In the broader competitive field, Starlink still leads with nearly 10,000 satellites; in January Elon Musk reportedly sought FCC approval for 1,000,000 more launches, and SpaceX is rumored to target a valuation near 1.75 trillion USD, with Starlink around 1 trillion USD. This pace of constellation expansion heightens orbital congestion and debris cascade risks, including concerns about Kessler syndrome. The FCC also required Amazon to launch 50% of its satellites by July 30, 2026; Amazon sought an extension, showing that licensing and traffic-management constraints may remain a major constraint into 2027.