July 27 (Reuters) – Amazon’s Leo has proposed a new constellation of up to 5,105 satellites to provide direct-to-device voice and data connectivity, joining a growing race among satellite operators to beam cellular service directly to smartphones.
The proposed direct-to-device network would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial cellular networks, with deployment beginning in 2028.
The service will partner with mobile network operators globally and use Globalstar’s mobile satellite spectrum following Amazon’s agreement to acquire Globalstar earlier this year.
The move expands Amazon’s satellite ambitions beyond broadband internet and intensifies competition in the direct-to-device market, with SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global also developing satellite-to-phone services.
A growing shortage of rocket launch capacity has, however, become one of the biggest constraints to deploying a wave of next generation of satellite constellations.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
