Is Amazon on the Path to Rivalling SpaceX's Starlink?
There is no disputing SpaceX's position as the industry leader in satellite ownership.
The tech giant's subsidiary Starlink is responsible for 66% of active satellites in orbit, according to the latest estimate by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
But could Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's plans knock the leader out off its perch?
Right now, it looks unlikely. Starlink's 2025 report revealed more than 650 satellites were launched in to low-Earth orbit (LEO) in just 18 months, while Amazon has launched only 200 over the past seven years.
However, Amazon has now confirmed its US$11.57bn acquisition of satellite communications company Globalstar, a valued at US$10bn. The deal will result in thousands more Amazon satellites being launched into orbit, positioning it as a true competitive rival to Starlink.
What did Andy Jassy say to shareholders?
In an annual letter to shareholders sent last week, Andy said Amazon was scheduled to launch Amazon Leo – its low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite broadband service – in mid-2026.
He added that Leo already has commitments from Delta Airlines, JetBlue, AT&T, Vodafone, DIRECTV Latin America, Australia's National Broadband Network and NASA to use Amazon's satellites once in orbit.
Acquiring Globalstar means Amazon is already setting itself up to increase satellite numbers by a "few thousand" in the coming years as the third-largest LEO network.
Globalstar, founded in 1991, has infrastructure operating internationally, including two in California and the rest in Georgia, US, Dublin in Ireland, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Toulouse in France.
Apple signs satellite service deal with Amazon
In addition to the Globalstar acquisition, Amazon has revealed a long-term agreement with Apple for Amazon Leo to power satellite services for Apple products, including its supported iPhone and Apple Watch models.
It is hoped Amazon's Leo satellites will enable Apple users to text emergency services, message friends and family, request roadside assistance and more.
Apple is a customer of Globalstar, meaning the satellite services it offered fall under Amazon's responsibility.
Keith Modzelewski, former Chief Revenue Officer at Confidential Energy Company, comments: "The device-first approach changes the unit economics completely.
"Starlink went telco-first and is now fighting for carrier relationships in every market. Amazon is going direct to the hardware endpoint through Apple, a fundamentally different distribution motion that bypasses 18 months of carrier negotiation entirely.
"For anyone deploying hardware in remote or low-connectivity environments, the addressable market for always-on compute just got a lot larger."
Gert Skov Peterson, CEO at Mediathand, says: "Starlink went telco-first with T-Mobile. Amazon is going device-first with Apple.
"That’s a much more interesting game and a potentially stronger position long term. Makes the upcoming Starlink IPO much more interesting to follow."
Ending his letter, Andy said the organisation was "confident these investments will yield meaningful growth and return on invested capital (ROIC) for the company".
Through its ongoing satellite project, Amazon is aiming to close the digital divide for rural communities without broadband connectivity.
With Starlink representing roughly 50-80% of SpaceX's revenue, according to Reuters, even getting close to competition could be a tough feat for Amazon.
However, if all plans run smoothly in coming years, the company stands to become SpaceX's top satellite rival.