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New Delhi. The world’s global tech giant Amazon has made the biggest bet so far in the race for space and satellite internet. The company has announced the purchase of satellite communication company Globalstar for $11.57 billion (about ₹ 1,07,838 crore). After this deal, the competition in space technology between Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon has intensified.

Amazon’s big leap in satellite internet
Amazon is already building a satellite internet network under its project ‘Kuiper’. The company aims to deploy about 3,200 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2029. After the entry of Globalstar, Amazon’s network will become stronger, because the company already has more than 200 satellites. This acquisition will not only help Amazon in increasing its technology but will also give it an opportunity to strengthen its hold at the global level.

Direct-to-Device technology will change the future of Internet
Globalstar’s biggest strength is its Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology. With the help of this technology, mobile phones can be directly connected to satellite, that is, no tower or ground network is required for this. This technology is extremely useful in areas where mobile network is not available or connectivity is required for emergency services. Amazon’s focus is now on developing this technology on a large scale, which the company plans to launch by 2028.

Partnership with Apple will remain intact
Globalstar is already working with Apple. Features like Emergency SOS and Find My available in iPhone and Apple Watch are based on this satellite network. Amazon has clarified that the partnership with Apple will continue even after this deal.
Apple had acquired a 20% stake in Globalstar by investing about $1.5 billion in 2024, making the company already in a technologically strong position.

Starlink’s challenge and Musk’s lead
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX’s Starlink is currently at the forefront of the satellite internet market. The company has a huge network of more than 10,000 satellites and is serving more than 90 lakh users.
Along with providing high-speed broadband internet, Starlink is also working rapidly on D2D technology. In such a situation, this competition will not be easy for Amazon, but Globalstar’s technology will definitely give it new strength.

New ‘tech war’ begins in space
Experts believe that this deal is not just a company acquisition, but the beginning of a new war for dominance in space. While on one hand Elon Musk is expanding his Starlink network, on the other hand Jeff Bezos’s Amazon has now entered the field with an aggressive strategy.
Globalstar’s technology and Amazon’s financial strength together can completely change the world of satellite internet in the coming times.