Amazon Reportedly in Talks to Buy Apple Satellite Partner Globalstar

[MacRumors]

Apple's 20 percent stake in satellite partner Globalstar has become a sticking point in Amazon's reported bid to acquire the company, according to the Financial Times ($).

Amazon is in talks to buy Globalstar in a deal that would value the satellite telecommunications firm at roughly $9 billion, as part of a broader push to compete with SpaceX's Starlink. But Apple's ownership interest – acquired as part of a $1.5 billion investment in 2024 – has required separate negotiations between the two tech giants, the report says.

Under its existing agreement with Globalstar, Apple has access to 85 percent of the company's satellite network capacity for iPhone features including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, and Find My location updates. It's unclear how an Amazon acquisition would affect that arrangement.

Apple has not publicly commented on the talks, and no deal has been finalized. Discussions could still fall apart, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to FT.

Amazon currently has more than 180 satellites in orbit through its own satellite internet program, known as Leo, but that figure is dwarfed by SpaceX's fleet of over 10,000 active satellites. Bloomberg reported in October that Globalstar was exploring a sale and had held early talks with SpaceX.

Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone which will apparently require upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure. They include Apple Maps via satellite, photos in Messages via satellite, connectivity in indoors environments, satellite over 5G, and a satellite API for third-party apps.

Article Link: Amazon Reportedly in Talks to Buy Apple Satellite Partner Globalstar

 

[kotaKat]

lol it's not gonna happen.

as per the latest globalstar filings, apple now has 85% of GSAT's network. apple is responsible for over 60+% of GSAT's revenue right now.

just. not. gonna. happen.

https://investors.globalstar.com/sec-filings/sec-filing/10-k/0001366868-26-000012

We retain 15% of our current and future network capacity to support our other customers, including our existing and future Commercial IoT, SPOT and Duplex subscribers. We believe that this capacity can support a substantialincrease in our own subscriber base. This retained satellite capacity can be used by us directly or through additional wholesale customer opportunities.

We enable direct-to-cellular connectivity over the Globalstar System to the Customer under the Updated Services Agreements through a wholesale capacity arrangement. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, theCustomer under the Updated Services Agreements was responsible for 63%, 58%, and 49%, respectively, of our total revenue. No other customer was responsible for more than 10% of our revenue during these years. The loss of theCustomer may have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

lol it's not gonna happen.

as per the latest globalstar filings, apple now has 85% of GSAT's network. apple is responsible for over 60+% of GSAT's revenue right now.

just. not. gonna. happen.

https://investors.globalstar.com/sec-filings/sec-filing/10-k/0001366868-26-000012

Why would that make any difference in the sales talk? It wouldn't stop Apple from using them.

I don't want this to happen, but I'm not sure Apple would care either way.

 

[boswald]

Is there anything these huge conglomerates won't gobble up? Good lord...

 

[ELman]

Apple should buy Globalstar.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Why would that make any difference in the sales talk? It wouldn't stop Apple from using them.

I don't want this to happen, but I'm not sure Apple would care either way.

What about the pricing of the iPhone satellite service down the road if Amazon purchased?

 

[CharlesShaw]

...more than 180 satellites in orbit through its own satellite internet program, known as Leo, but that figure is dwarfed by SpaceX's fleet of over 10,000 active satellites

And my next YouTube "research" rabbit hole will be learning how this huge cloud of manmade stuff is tracked and navigated.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Why would that make any difference in the sales talk? It wouldn't stop Apple from using them.

I don't want this to happen, but I'm not sure Apple would care either way.

Because as soon as Amazon completes the purchase they could tell Apple to pound sand if they felt like it. Or change the terms of the deal with Apple praying they don’t change it further.

 

[kalsta]

Is there anything these huge conglomerates won't gobble up? Good lord...

Nope, they even gobble up the sky now if it makes them money. Starlink has over 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. Who gave them permission to do that? I know I certainly didn’t, and as a native earthling I reckon I should have just as much say as anyone else as to what eats up our big blue sky. But no, money buys power, power lets you do whatever you want, and doing whatever you want earns you more money.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Nope, they even gobble up the sky if it makes them money. Starlink has over 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. Who gave them permission to do that? I know I certainly didn’t, and as a native earthling I reckon I should have just as much say as anyone else as to what eats up the sky. But no, money buys power, and power let’s you do whatever you damn well want to our planet.

The FCC, and it looks like they are going to get permission for a Million satellites. 🙁

A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky—for everyone on Earth

More than 10,000 Starlink satellites currently orbit Earth. We see them crawling across dark skies, no matter how remote our location, and streaking through images from research telescopes.

phys.org

 

[kalsta]

The FCC, and it looks like they are going to get permission for a Million satellites. 🙁

Yes, and ‘FCC' stands for Federal Communications Commission — ‘federal’ meaning the federal government of the United States. So… they own the sky do they?

 

[shawnforever]

The FCC, and it looks like they are going to get permission for a Million satellites. 🙁

The stuff of kessler syndrome nightmares.

 

[kalsta]

If Elon puts anymore of those damn satellites up there, I might just have to sit on a big hill at night and shoot ‘em down. Yeehaw!

 

[Spock]

Amazon would just buy out Apples stake or make a deal with them for continued connectivity, or both.

 

[spunkystrawberries]

Just yesterday I read that another one of SpaceX’s satellites randomly exploded. haha Meanwhile SpaceX is prepping for their IPO, allegedly at $1.75 trillion. (Seems way overvalued to be. They brought in like $8 billion in profit last year… versus Apple at over $100 billion.) I just don’t understand this world.

But yeah, they’re filling up the sky with more crap. And here comes Amazon wanting to do the same. (And don’t forget their “data centers in space” dream.)

I’m so conflicted. I actually love the idea of a beautiful, powerful network of satellites that can provide coverage and do these things, but with all these companies competing with each other, it just feels like we’re cluttering things up even more. But on the flip side, I don’t necessarily want all that “power” concentrated and owned by one company. (And personally, just my private opinion, but I definitely don’t like all of that in the hands of Elon Musk, and Amazon is a close second.)

Maybe I’m describing it should be a public utility?

But we can’t even get ground based internet to that level yet. :/

Couldn’t we build something better and more powerful if we worked together instead of just adding more and more from other competitors?

 

[dynamojoe]

GSAT is up 8% on the news. Strange that Amazon would want Globalstar when Blue Origin is a thing. Maybe they want to add it to Terawave as an offering.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Keep in mind that any iPhone can be made to work with Globalstar. Maybe Amazon will roll out the feature to older iPhones!

 

[k1121j]

Not the biggest fan of Elon but his starlinks trump them all (no pun intended) unless it’s possible for another provider to get a lower orbit then Starlink they are all trash. Latency is the game changer for sat data.

 

[wilhoitm]

Apple should start making their own Satellites with the Apple logo on them, that would be so cool!

 

[justanotherdave]

Amazon would just buy out Apples stake or make a deal with them for continued connectivity, or both.

Apple is too smart for that. No doubt the “sticking point” for Amazon is Apple has clauses in their contract that protect them from any service interruptions due to outside influences (like another company buying Globalstar).

The clue is in the article saying Amazon has had “separate negotiations” with Apple. This tells me they can’t simply “buy out Apples stake”. No doubt frustrating Amazon.

 

[xpxp2002]

GSAT is up 8% on the news. Strange that Amazon would want Globalstar when Blue Origin is a thing. Maybe they want to add it to Terawave as an offering.

This was my first thought. Doesn’t Amazon already have Kueper or whatever it’s called?

I can’t imagine why they’d want to spend billions to buy the aging Globalstar fleet when they already have more capable, modern satellites in orbit.

 

[Spock]

The clue is in the article saying Amazon has had “separate negotiations” with Apple. This tells me they can’t simply “buy out Apples stake”. No doubt frustrating Amazon.

Or, the separate negotiations could be that Amazon is trying to buyout Apples stake...

 

[macvicta]

Time for another Amazon Prime price increase.

 

[tennisproha]

Not a fan of cluttering LEO with thousands of satellites. There needs to be regulation on this.

 

[Numbah One]

Not a fan of cluttering LEO with thousands of satellites. There needs to be regulation on this.

There are regulators - the FCC in the U.S. Europe, China, and Russia have their equivalent. The major space agencies coordinate operations too.