Amazon · The Register
Amazon pays $11.5B for Globalstar to satisfy satellite-envy
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Amazon has agreed to pay more than $11.5 billion to expand its satellite constellation by about two dozen units with the acquisition of Globalstar.
Key facts
- Specifically, Globalstar operates in what's known as Band 53, a block of spectrum from 2483.5 to 2495 MHz, which the company says is licensed exclusively to it and is "optimized for high-performance
- As of earlier this month, Amazon Leo had 241 satellites in the skies above the Earth; 24 more isn't exactly getting Bezos' Musk alternative any closer to scale
- Amazon has agreed to pay more than $11.5 billion to expand its satellite constellation by about two dozen units with the acquisition of Globalstar
- Once the deal closes, which is expected next year, Band 53 will be part of Amazon Leo's portfolio too
Summary
The Bezos behemoth announced its purchase of venerable mobile satellite services (MSS) operator Globalstar on Tuesday, saying the deal will help Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) expand into direct-to-device services using Globalstar’s spectrum, satellites, and operating expertise. With only 24 operational satellites, Amazon is not buying anything close to a Starlink-scale rival. Globalstar has been around since 1991, and it's come up with a bundle of tech in the meantime. Licensing in the satellite space can be tricky, and Amazon has already tangled with SpaceX in spectrum fights before. Specifically, Globalstar operates in what's known as Band 53, a block of spectrum from 2483.5 to 2495 MHz, which the company says is licensed exclusively to it and is "optimized for high-performance, low-latency, interference-free connectivity.