Amazon to buy satellite firm Globalstar in $11.57B deal

(reuters.com)

73 points | by noptd 1 hour ago

12 comments

  • hbarka 45 minutes ago
    Globalstar is a study in corporate survival. It lives on while its 90’s cohort Iridium didn’t make it.

    Consider the journey:

    2002: Bankruptcy.

    2007: Satellite amplifier failures threatened its voice service.

    2010–2013: A replacement constellation helped restore capacity.

    2022: Apple's iPhone Emergency SOS gave Globalstar a major new purpose.

    2024: Apple committed approximately $1.5 billion in investment and infrastructure funding.

    Now: This acquisition by Amazon would bring Globalstar's satellite assets and spectrum into Amazon's competition with Starlink, while preserving satellite services for Apple devices.

    Iridium has a museum: iridium museum.com

    • diek 29 minutes ago
      Iridium exists today, refreshed their constellation with Iridium NEXT just a few years ago, and was just bought by Rocket Lab for $8 billion.

      (disclaimer: my Dad worked there for years)

    • jareklupinski 6 minutes ago
      • PyWoody 2 minutes ago
        This is giving me real Severance Perpetuity Wing vibes.
    • cubefox 11 minutes ago
    • cubefox 9 minutes ago
      > 2002: Bankruptcy.

      Why wasn't this the end?

      • piker 7 minutes ago
        Two types of bankruptcy in the U.S.: liquidation and reorganization. The latter lets a company reshuffle assets and debt and schedule new payment plans to continue to exist as a going concern. It often wipes out shareholders.
    • martinky24 25 minutes ago
      What? Doesn’t iridium exist?
      • huhtenberg 2 minutes ago
        It does. That is until its acquisition by Rocket Lab completes in 2027.
  • interloxia 1 hour ago
    The link didn't work for me.

    https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-agency-app...

    US agency approves Amazon Leo’s $11.5 billion acquisition of Globalstar By David Shepardson October 27, 2026

  • Eden09 49 minutes ago
    Previous discussion about the deal on HN (119 comments): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47775183
  • joecool1029 12 minutes ago
    The news is that the FCC approved the acquisition. It was already announced back in April that Amazon would be purchasing Globalstar. I don’t think anyone expected it to be held up by regulators.

    Edit: proper link to it https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-agency-app...

  • paxy 1 hour ago
    The deal was announced in April. It just got FCC approval.
  • 0xy 11 minutes ago
    Every satellite internet provider other than Starlink is complete garbage. Slow, unreliable, useless.
    • neals 4 minutes ago
      Those are very absolute statements. And mayeb you're not aware, but if you notice people pulling away from you in conversation or it's difficult for you to maintain longterm, deep, relationships, it might be partly because of the way you express yourself. And it probably comes from a good place, you might just want to warn people to not go through whatever bad experience you had. But it is a very one way type of communication. It doesn't allow anybody except those that agree. But those that agree won't agree on some other big statement and you'll still resent each other.

      Just something to think about as you navigate the challenges of social interactions. The best to you.

  • gkanai 50 minutes ago
    How does Globalstar's offering compare to Starlink?
    • nonethewiser 48 minutes ago
      9.6Kbps

      Not a joke

      • hylaride 4 minutes ago
        The spectrum and various other rights are probably worth more than the current kit.
      • jandrese 44 minutes ago
        Au Contraire, that bandwidth is definitely a joke.
      • cj 23 minutes ago
        That's their legacy product.

        2nd gen is 256 Kbps

      • AdamN 42 minutes ago
        Does it also make modem sounds??
      • fred_is_fred 12 minutes ago
        That's enough bandwidth to play Trade Wars and SRE so it's good enough for me.
      • cmiles8 47 minutes ago
        Well that’s more than most people can get out of Leo today so it’s a start!
      • gizajob 35 minutes ago
        9600bps ought to be enough for anyone.
  • aboardRat4 39 minutes ago
    Just use Thuraya or Inmarsat.
  • sebmellen 1 hour ago
    404 for me
  • kotaKat 1 hour ago
    On the same note: https://investors.globalstar.com/news-releases/news-release-...

    The new direct-to-device network Amazon is getting their hands on is now approved and live on the air.

  • hnisjafx40 21 minutes ago
    [dead]
  • krylonmae 29 minutes ago
    [dead]