Amazon seeks FCC approval for 5,000 satellites to provide cell service from space

Amazon just filed paperwork with the FCC to launch more than 5,100 satellites designed to connect directly to your phone. Not a special satellite phone, not a bulky terminal on your roof. Your regular, everyday smartphone. The filing, submitted during the last week of July 2026, requests authorization for a new low-Earth orbit constellation of up to 5,105 satellites under the Amazon Leo brand (formerly Project Kuiper). The goal: deliver voice, messaging, data, and emergency connectivity to compatible smartphones and IoT devices in areas where traditional cell towers don’t reach. A $11.57 billion bet on spectrum Amazon’s play here relies heavily on spectrum it plans to acquire through its $11.57 billion purchase of Globalstar, announced on April 14, 2026. That deal doesn’t just hand Amazon a bundle of valuable airwaves. It also comes with existing satellite infrastructure and, notably, a working relationship with Apple. Globalstar has been powering Apple’s Emergency SOS feature for iPhones and Apple Watches. So Amazon isn’t just buying spectrum. It’s buying a seat at a table where Apple is already sitting. The new D2D constellation is targeted to begin deployment in 2028, assuming t...