Amazon files for a 5,000-satellite phone network aimed at 2028

Amazon has applied to the FCC to build a direct-to-cell satellite constellation that would connect ordinary phones beyond tower range.

Amazon has filed an application with the FCC to launch 5,105 satellites for what it calls the Leo Direct-to-Device (D2D) System. The company says the service — carrying voice, messaging, data, and emergency access to existing phones beyond the reach of cell towers — could be operational by early 2028. The satellites would sit across five orbital shells at altitudes of 335 to 360 miles. In April, Amazon agreed to acquire Globalstar's satellite operations, infrastructure, and spectrum licenses.

This would be a second constellation for Amazon, distinct from its Leo broadband network, which uses a planned 3,200 satellites — roughly 375 already in low earth orbit — and offers speeds up to 1 Gbps. The D2D system targets the harder problem: connecting unmodified handsets directly, no ground receiver required.

For connectivity as a basic need, a second direct-to-cell operator matters mostly because of what competition does to price and coverage. Starlink's rival service with T-Mobile, launched last July, runs about $10 to $15 a month. More than one provider chasing the same gap — the parts of the map where towers never reach — pushes universal connectivity toward being a default rather than a premium.

What to watch is whether the 2028 date holds and how the Globalstar spectrum is deployed. The launch and operational dates are company plans, not commitments, and some satellite counts are approximate. The proposed figures — including industry-wide talk of 1.7 million satellites across uses — describe intentions, not orbits already filled.

Source: New Atlas