Amazon.com Inc.
The e-commerce giant, in a statement on Monday, said it sought the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) approval to launch up to 5,105 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for its Amazon Leo Direct-to-Device (D2D) system. Deployment is set for 2028, the company said in an official statement.
The D2D service follows Amazon's merger agreement with Globalstar in April this year. Amazon says Globalstar's spectrum would allow the company to add direct-to-device capabilities. The company said it would enable services via 390+ satellites in orbit using Leo Nano, Leo Pro, and Leo Ultra ground antennas.
Starlink vs Leo
The move challenges Starlink Mobile as Elon Musk expands Starlink's global footprint. While regulators have previously called on Amazon to focus on deployment milestones, the company has existing partnerships with companies like Apple Inc.
Starlink, most recently, provided free satellite texting for Movistar and MasOrange customers in wildfire-hit regions near Madrid. Aviation connectivity is also another avenue where both companies compete against one another.
However, SpaceX recently announced it was hiking prices of business aviation plans for its service. The plans, offered in three tiers, include the Starlink Regional 25 GB, priced at $4,000/month, as well as a new Aviation Regional Unlimited pack at $12,500/month and the Aviation Global Unlimited pack is now offered at $20,000/month.
SpaceX CEO Musk had earlier also confirmed that Starlink could deliver speeds up to 10-Gigabit-per-second anywhere in the world using its satellite network.
