April 15, 2026 — 11:49am Save SpaceX files for IPO, which could make Elon Musk world’s first trillionaire Bloomberg News reported earlier that Amazon was in advanced talks to buy Globalstar. The satellite company’s shares jumped 9.6 per cent to close at $US79.91 in New York. Amazon shares rose 3.8 per cent to $US249.02. AST SpaceMobile, a major competitor in the direct-to-device segment, fell almost 11 per cent to $US88.57. Amazon also said on Tuesday that Apple’s emergency messaging service will transition to Amazon Leo, the company’s recently renamed broadband satellite network. Adding Apple as a customer could be a coup for Leo, which has lagged SpaceX’s Starlink unit in signing major partners such as airlines. Amazon Leo has been primarily focused on providing broadband internet services with its satellite constellation, which requires customers to tap into the system using a personal user antenna. But in recent years, the emergence of the potentially lucrative direct-to-device market has become an attractive opportunity for satellite operators. The technology entails ​​using satellites to provide connectivity to unmodified smartphones on Earth. Advertisement SpaceX has already sought to augment its Starlink broadband system with satellite-to-device capabilities by launching satellites geared toward mobile phone connectivity. And in 2025, SpaceX agreed to buy EchoStar’s satellite spectrum — radio frequencies licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to communicate with spacecraft – in a $US17 billion deal to boost its offerings in this realm. Amazon Leo’s roughly 200 satellites in orbit are running limited commercial tests, and the company has a goal of eventually operating more than 7700 satellites. Earlier this year, Amazon asked the FCC to waive or extend a deadline to have 1600 satellites aloft by July. Though Globalstar operates a satellite system in orbit, the company only has a couple of dozen active satellites in operation. The real value of the acquisition for Amazon lies in GlobalStar’s spectrum — the radio frequencies it has been licensed by the FCC to communicate with its satellites, said Caleb Henry, director of research at Quilty Space. Such spectrum, distinct from what Amazon already uses for its broadband satellite system, will be necessary in order for the company to move forward with direct-to-device capabilities. “Amazon has now repeatedly claimed that their satellite system will offer better service than what’s out there now, and so they clearly believe that they are building up a capability that will challenge and beat Starlink,” Henry said. “They’re very bullish on that.” Advertisement Amazon Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy “would not be able to make a claim like that without first acquiring spectrum,” Henry added. Battle of the billionaires: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (right) is hoping to close in on rival Elon Musk’s Starlink dominance. AP Until now, the two leading players in the direct-to-device market have been SpaceX and AST, based in Midland, Texas. SpaceX has joined with T-Mobile US to provide connectivity via Starlink satellites to areas without traditional land-based cell service. AST has partnerships with operators such as AT&T and Verizon Communications but is still at the early stage of launching its satellite network. FCC Chair Brendan Carr signalled an openness to the Amazon-Globalstar deal, saying in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday that the acquisition could potentially bring a new competitor to an emerging market. Amazon’s satellite business last month signed a deal with Delta Air Lines, with the carrier agreeing to use Leo to provide in-flight Wi-Fi service. Starlink has many more partners, though, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Air France and Emirates. Advertisement