Ultimately, said Sag, “consumers and businesses will want choice when it comes to satellite connectivity, whether it’s for broadband, IoT, or direct to device consumer connectivity. I suspect we’ll see more companies sign with Amazon Leo as its capabilities and spectrum expand. I also believe this might increase the need for more spectrum auctions, which I believe SpaceX has already been pushing for.”
And, said Info-Tech’s Bickley, Amazon is “betting on direct to device at scale, and if that works, the addressable market extends well beyond traditional satellite broadband. Globalstar’s relationship with Apple adds a potential entry point into that ecosystem.”
The challenge is execution, he said. Amazon is still constrained by third-party launch providers, and now has to integrate a legacy satellite network into Kuiper. Meanwhile, Starlink already has well over 10K satellites, is already profitable, and is continuously expanding its footprint.
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