Amazon Leo has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy a constellation of up to 5,105 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites providing direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity for smartphones and other compatible mobile devices.
The proposed system will deliver voice, messaging, data and emergency services directly to mobile devices beyond the reach of terrestrial mobile networks, with satellite deployment scheduled to begin in 2028.
The filing follows Amazon’s April agreement to acquire Globalstar’s satellite operations, infrastructure and global mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum licences. The new constellation will use Globalstar’s L-band and S-band spectrum and will operate alongside Amazon Leo’s broadband satellite network and Globalstar’s existing HIBLEO and C-3 constellations.
Amazon says it will comprise five orbital shells ranging from 510 km to 580 km altitude. Three shells will provide mid-latitude coverage, with two higher inclination shells extending services into high-latitude and near-polar regions.
Unlike conventional ‘bent pipe’ satellites, the D2D satellites will process signals onboard before relaying them through Ka-band and V-band feeder links to ground stations. They will also incorporate optical inter-satellite laser links to route traffic across the constellation.
The satellites will use digital beamforming, beam-hopping, adaptive modulation and coding, dual-polarisation reception and adjacent-channel filtering to improve spectrum efficiency while reducing interference with other satellite operators.
Amazon Leo currently has more than 390 broadband satellites in orbit and plans to begin rolling out satellite broadband services across initial coverage areas later this year.
