Amazon Confirms It Will Acquire Apple’s 20% Stake in Globalstar

Amazon has confirmed that it will take over Apple’s 20% stake in Globalstar as part of its $11.6 billion acquisition of the satellite communications company, and the move signals a much bigger push into direct-to-device satellite connectivity for smartphones and mobile devices.

According to an FCC filing spotted by PCMag, Amazon plans to acquire Apple’s equity and voting interests in Globalstar through a newly created subsidiary called Grapefruit Acquisition Sub II, LLC. Apple originally secured the stake in 2024 after expanding its satellite partnership investment with Globalstar to $1.1 billion, which helped power Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone models starting with the iPhone 14.

Amazon says the acquisition will not affect existing satellite services used by iPhone customers, and the company also stated in the filing that it plans to continue supporting Apple’s satellite features while improving network performance over time.

Amazon Wants to Expand Beyond Apple

At the same time, Amazon made it clear that it wants Globalstar to support a much larger satellite ecosystem that works across multiple smartphone brands, carriers, and connected devices.

The company told the FCC that its future satellite network will offer stronger coverage, faster connections, and better signal quality than current mobile satellite systems, especially in remote areas where users struggle with weak cellular service.

Amazon also said future upgrades will support advanced features including voice calling, improved text messaging, and mobile data connectivity without requiring special hardware on phones.

The deal places Amazon in direct competition with companies like SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile, both of which are rapidly expanding satellite-to-phone services.

Globalstar is already developing a new 48-satellite C-3 constellation for Apple’s satellite features, but Amazon now wants to build an additional next-generation D2D satellite network alongside it.

The company says the upgraded system will support standard smartphones and IoT devices using 3GPP NTN technology while improving connectivity in locations where current satellite services still struggle.