Bloomberg is reporting that Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire satellite operator Globalstar in a deal that would significantly boost the tech giant’s efforts to build out its own satellite broadband network. A deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter, though a final agreement has not been reached and talks could still fall through.

Globalstar’s stock surged approximately 19% in pre-market trading on the news, with its market capitalization sitting near $9.4 billion. The reported acquisition price is roughly $9 billion.

The deal would give Amazon immediate access to a functioning satellite network at a time when its own constellation, Amazon Leo — formerly known as Project Kuiper — is struggling to meet a federal deployment timeline.

Globalstar’s satellite assets, radio frequency spectrum, and operational expertise would position Amazon Leo to offer Direct-to-Device services in future generations of its low Earth orbit network — allowing mobile carriers to extend voice, text, and data coverage to customers in areas beyond the reach of traditional cell towers.

Amazon Leo Has A Substantial Local Footprint

Amazon Leo’s Merritt Island processing facility — located at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center — spans roughly 100,000 square feet and serves as the final pre-launch destination for satellites manufactured at the company’s Kirkland, Washington plant. The $140 million-plus structure, which opened in 2025, handles final assembly, testing, and integration with launch vehicles before each mission.

Additionally, last month, Amazon announced plans for a 112,372-square-foot warehouse and office hub on 24 acres in Titusville, near Space Coast Regional Airport, serving as a logistics hub for satellite operations.

What, if any, effects on those local operations remains to be seen.

Apple’s Stake Complicates Talks

Apple has a 20% ownership interest in Globalstar, acquired as part of a $1.5 billion investment in 2024. That in turn has required separate negotiations between Amazon and the Cupertino, California-based company.

Under an existing agreement, Apple has access to 85% of Globalstar’s satellite network capacity to power iPhone features including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, and Find My location updates. How those arrangements would be preserved under Amazon ownership remains unclear.

Amazon Leo Faces Steep Climb

The acquisition bid comes as Amazon Leo faces a serious shortfall in its FCC-mandated deployment schedule. Amazon Leo has launched only 241 production satellites as of April 2026, far short of the 1,618 satellites it is required to deploy by July 30, 2026, but the company is expected to fall more than 1,300 satellites short of that milestone.

Amazon has asked the FCC to extend that halfway-point deadline from July 2026 to July 2028, citing a shortage of near-term launch availability driven by manufacturing disruptions, the failure and grounding of new launch vehicles (specifically ULA’s Vulcan), and limitations in spaceport capacity. The latter claim is interesting — even though SpaceX launches from the Cape and California at a torrid pace, there are still multi-day periods when there is no launch activity at all.

In a separate action in February, the FCC approved Amazon’s request to more than double its authorized satellite fleet, allowing Amazon Leo to add 4,500 satellites for a total of just over 7,700.

Globalstar operates a satellite constellation in low Earth orbit alongside 28 ground stations across 18 countries and six continents. Folding that existing infrastructure into Amazon Leo would give the company immediate operational footing it cannot yet claim on its own.