Amazon Acquires Globalstar, Expanding into iPhone Satellite Services

On April 14, 2026, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) entered into a merger agreement to acquire satellite communications provider Globalstar for approximately $11.5–11.7 billion (about 15 trillion won) in cash and stock. Once the transaction closes, Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, Amazon Leo, will absorb Globalstar’s satellite and spectrum assets, as well as its satellite service offerings for iPhone and Apple Watch. On the same day, Amazon also reached an agreement with Apple to continue and expand direct satellite-connectivity features—such as Emergency SOS—for iPhone and Apple Watch via the Amazon Leo network.

According to recent SEC filings, between April 1 and April 14, 2026, Douglas J. Herrington, CEO of Amazon’s Stores division, sold a portion of his shares under a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The total proceeds amounted to about $5.21 million (around 7 billion won), yet he still holds several hundred thousand shares, leaving his economic stake in the company largely unchanged.

With the Globalstar acquisition, Amazon announced plans to commercialize its own direct-to-device satellite communications system beginning in 2028, setting up a direct challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink. At the same time, the company continues to maintain growth momentum across its core businesses—cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Prime Video and advertising. The LEO satellite internet and direct satellite communications market is emerging as a next-generation infrastructure investment arena, with telecom operators, big tech firms and satellite providers all competing for position.