Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105 Satellites to Connect Phones Beyond Cell Towers
Amazon’s Kuiper Systems LLC asked the Federal Communications Commission on July 24, 2026, to authorize 5,105 low-Earth-orbit satellites intended to connect compatible phones where cell towers are unavailable. The proposed Amazon Leo Direct-to-Device system would support voice calls, text messages, emergency communications and limited mobile data on compatible, unmodified 4G and 5G smartphones, according to details of the regulatory application. The FCC has not approved the network, and Amazon says deployment would begin no earlier than 2028.
The scale is notable even by current constellation standards. Amazon proposes distributing the satellites among five orbital shells at altitudes from 510 to 580 kilometers. The architecture described for the system includes onboard signal processing, optical links between satellites, digital beamforming, beam hopping, dual-polarization reception and adaptive modulation.
Those elements address a central direct-to-device challenge: serving small, relatively low-power consumer handsets from rapidly moving spacecraft. Digital beamforming would let a satellite direct radio coverage toward selected geographic areas, while beam hopping could shift capacity as demand changes. Optical crosslinks would permit traffic to move through the constellation before reaching a ground gateway. These capabilities do not establish the data rates, coverage or capacity consumers would receive, however; the available information does not support treating the system as a universal replacement for terrestrial broadband.
A different spectrum model
Amazon’s most consequential engineering-policy choice is its proposed use of Globalstar-associated L-band and S-band Mobile Satellite Service frequencies, around 1.6 and 2.4 gigahertz. Starlink Direct to Cell and AST SpaceMobile instead rely on terrestrial mobile spectrum provided through carrier partnerships, including arrangements governed in the United States by the FCC’s Supplemental Coverage from Space framework.
Using satellite-service spectrum could reduce Amazon’s need to negotiate a separate terrestrial carrier-spectrum arrangement in every market. Globalstar holds Mobile Satellite Service licenses in more than 120 countries, but that footprint does not automatically authorize Amazon’s planned service worldwide. National approvals, device rules, network integration and spectrum coordination would still apply. Interference management will be especially important because the proposed constellation is intended to operate alongside Globalstar’s existing and planned satellites.
The handset qualification also requires care. “Unmodified” does not mean every phone already in use will connect. The proposal targets compatible 4G and 5G devices, including phones equipped with suitable satellite-capable chipsets and radio support. The 3GPP non-terrestrial-network standards established normative satellite requirements beginning with Release 17, including provisions for timing, Doppler compensation, mobility and network selection. Actual compatibility will still depend on supported frequency bands, modem implementation, certification and operator configuration.
Approval is only one dependency
Amazon also must complete its approximately $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, announced in April 2026 and expected to close in 2027. That transaction remains important because the direct-to-device plan is built around Globalstar-associated spectrum and coordination with its satellite systems. The acquisition should therefore be viewed as an architectural dependency, not proof that the proposed constellation can proceed.
Deployment capacity presents another constraint. As of July 2026, Amazon had approximately 396 satellites in orbit for its separate broadband constellation, compared with 3,232 authorized spacecraft. The FCC waived a July 30, 2026, interim deployment deadline for that network, while its full-constellation deadline remained July 30, 2029. Building and launching another 5,105-satellite fleet would add manufacturing, launch, orbital-management and ground-system demands while the first network is still being completed.
The immediate milestones are regulatory rather than consumer-facing: FCC review, spectrum coordination and the anticipated Globalstar closing in 2027. Hardware qualification, handset support, national permissions and deployment would follow before service could begin. Amazon’s application outlines a large route to extending mobile coverage beyond towers, but the practical result will depend less on the headline satellite count than on coordinated spectrum, certified devices and reliable integration across space, ground and cellular networks.
By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.
