TL;DR
- Amazon has filed an application with the FCC to launch and operate 5,105 satellites for its Amazon Leo satellite internet service.
- It will also provide direct-to-device services on compatible smartphones with built-in satellite-capable chipsets.
- The company plans to offer an initial service “later this year.”
Amazon’s plans to compete with Starlink may be progressing slowly, but they certainly are moving ahead. After announcing its acquisition of Globalstar back in April, the company has now taken yet another step towards making its direct-to-device (D2D) satellite internet service a reality.
The company today announced that it has filed an application with the FCC to launch and operate a constellation of 5,105 low-Earth-orbit satellites to power its D2D system. Its D2D system will operate alongside its existing satellite networks as well as Globalstar’s satellite constellation.