Amazon Leo has asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve its plan to launch up to 5,105 satellites capable of providing space-based connectivity for mobile devices.
“Our plan is to start deploying in 2028, and we’re excited to work with partners to make it happen,” Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo, said on X.
The direct-to-device network, Amazon Leo D2D, would complement Amazon’s satellite network for high-speed internet service via fixed antennas. It would also leverage the existing direct-to-device network operated by Globalstar, which is in the midst of a merger with Amazon.
So far, more than 390 Amazon Leo satellites have been launched into low Earth orbit, and Amazon says it plans to start rolling out commercial service later this year. The company plans to have 3,232 first-generation satellites in orbit by mid-2029, and the FCC has already given the go-ahead for more than 4,500 second-generation satellites that would give an extra boost to network coverage.
This latest move, which was expected ever since the plans for acquiring Globalstar were announced in April, aims to capitalize on the growing interest in direct-to-device connectivity.
“In the large parts of the world where mobile phones serve as the primary means of internet connection, the Leo D2D System will give customers greater speed and throughput to expand what they can accomplish today,” Amazon said in a news release. “The system is designed to reach any compatible mobile device — including any of the growing number of smartphones from major manufacturers that have satellite-capable chipsets built in.”
In addition to services for individual users, direct-to-device service can provide uninterrupted communications for disaster response, global fleet management, remote operations across worksites and supply chains, and connectivity for remote sensors, Amazon said.
Globalstar’s network already supports emergency SOS, dead-zone texting and roadside assistance for compatible iPhones and Apple Watch models, and Amazon said it would collaborate with Apple on future satellite services using the expanded network.
The FCC application calls for deploying satellites in five orbital shells, ranging in altitude from 510 to 580 kilometers (317 to 360 miles). The satellites would communicate with each other via optical laser links, with mobile devices using L-band and S-band radio frequencies, and with Amazon ground stations via Ka-band and V-band frequencies.
Amazon Leo has already announced partnerships with telecom operators including Vodafone, DirecTV, Herotel and Australia’s National Broadband Network. Amazon said its D2D service would help those partners fill in their coverage gaps.
Direct-to-device is an emerging frontier in connectivity, but that frontier is already starting to get crowded. SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile network is currently leading the pack, in partnership with T-Mobile and other telecom operators around the world. Other players include AST SpaceMobile, Orbcomm, Viasat, Lynk Global and Iridium.
In its application, Amazon pledged that its network would be structured to minimize interference with other networks.
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