The Leo D2D System would combine Amazon’s existing satellite infrastructure with spectrum and satellites gained through its pending $11.6 billion acquisition of Globalstar, first announced in April. Subject to regulatory approval, deployment is expected to begin in 2028, with the Globalstar deal itself slated to close in 2027.
The network is designed to deliver voice, messaging, data and emergency services directly to compatible smartphones in areas without cellular coverage, extending connectivity to users Amazon describes as unserved or underserved by existing wireless providers. It is separate from Amazon’s broadband-focused Leo constellation, originally authorised for 3,236 satellites, of which several hundred are already in orbit.
Tim Hatt, head of research and consulting at GSMA Intelligence, said Amazon’s scale gives it a credible route into the market, but flagged a structural difference in approach.
“Amazon’s push into direct-to-device mobile is further proof that satellite connectivity is going mainstream,” Hatt said. “With a constellation of more than 5,000 satellites and Globalstar’s spectrum behind it, Amazon has the scale to viably provide service as an alternative to Starlink, particularly in uncovered areas where terrestrial networks can’t reach.”
Hatt noted that Amazon intends to partner with telecoms operators to deliver D2D services, in contrast with Starlink’s more direct approach to the market.
According to GSMA Intelligence’s satellite and NTN tracker, 132 operators already have a satellite presence today, spanning more than 6.1 billion mobile connections. Operators are also diversifying their satellite relationships, averaging 1.5 partnerships each rather than relying on a single constellation provider, Hatt said.
Starlink remains the dominant player, with more than 10,000 satellites deployed and control of around 90% of existing orbital capacity, according to Hatt. But he said Amazon is not entering the market empty-handed.
“Amazon isn’t showing up empty-handed: it has spectrum, capital, and a consumer and cloud ecosystem to plug connectivity into,” Hatt said. “Still, there are plenty of variables: spectrum, capacity, regulation, sovereignty concerns and operator strategy, that will decide which companies effectively monetise these constellations in the long term.”
The filing intensifies competition in the satellite-to-smartphone market, where Starlink’s T-Satellite service already operates in partnership with T-Mobile and is available to Verizon and AT&T customers, and where AST SpaceMobile is also pursuing a direct-to-device model.
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