Amazon to buy satellite firm Globalstar for $11.57bn in challenge to Musk’s Starlink

Amazon's $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar marks a major escalation in the satellite internet race, directly challenging SpaceX's Starlink dominance. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Amazon to buy satellite firm Globalstar for $11.57bn in challenge to Musk’s Starlink

Contesto

Amazon announced on Tuesday a definitive agreement to acquire satellite communications company Globalstar for $11.57 billion, a move that dramatically accelerates its entry into the satellite broadband market and sets the stage for a direct confrontation with Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink constellation. The deal, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, will grant the tech behemoth immediate access to Globalstar's existing network of approximately two dozen low-Earth orbit satellites, providing critical infrastructure for its Project Kuiper initiative. This acquisition represents one of the largest strategic bets by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to compete in the final frontier of connectivity, signaling that the company is willing to spend heavily to close a massive operational gap with its chief rival. The transaction underscores the intensifying battle for control of the next generation of global internet infrastructure, moving the competition from terrestrial data centers and undersea cables to low-Earth orbit. While Amazon's Project Kuiper has secured FCC approval to launch over 3,200 satellites of its own, the program is still in its developmental stages, with prototype satellites yet to be deployed. In contrast, SpaceX's Starlink service is already operational, boasting a constellation of roughly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serving hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide with high-speed, low-latency internet. The purchase of Globalstar provides Amazon not just with physical assets, but with valuable spectrum rights, regulatory expertise, and an established ground network, potentially shaving years off its rollout timeline. Globalstar, headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, operates a constellation primarily used for satellite phone and low-bandwidth data services. Its network, while far smaller than Starlink's, occupies valuable orbital slots and radio spectrum that are increasingly scarce and contested resources. For Amazon, the value lies in integrating this existing architecture with its own planned Kuiper system, creating a hybrid network that could offer more resilient and diversified services. Analysts suggest the acquisition is as...

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Categoria: cronaca