Amazon has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for a licence to operate a new network of 5,105 satellites providing direct connectivity to mobile phones, with launches planned to begin in 2028. The move follows Amazon's acquisition of Globalstar's satellite operations earlier this year and would see the company use Globalstar's radio spectrum alongside its Leo broadband satellite network, positioning Amazon as a more direct rival to SpaceX in both satellite internet and satellite-to-mobile services.

SpaceX currently dominates this market and is spending $20 billion on spectrum from Echostar to expand its own mobile constellation, though demand remains uncertain: T-Mobile's chief executive said in May that satellite usage accounted for just 0.0002% of the carrier's total network traffic, mostly in national parks. Amazon faces a further obstacle in lacking its own rocket fleet, having relied on Blue Origin's New Glenn, which is currently grounded after a launch pad accident in May forced a licence deadline extension. Nonetheless, Amazon's $255 billion in current assets as of the end of April give it deep resources to sustain investment, in contrast to SpaceX's more pressing capital needs.