The company said the acquisition will strengthen its low Earth orbit project, known as Project Kuiper, though it still trails SpaceX and its Starlink service by a wide margin.

Through the deal, Amazon gains Globalstar’s existing satellites, spectrum licences and infrastructure. That includes about two dozen satellites already in orbit, which will support its drive into direct-to-device services.

This technology allows mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without relying on ground towers, a feature seen as key for emergency use and coverage in remote areas.

Amazon plans to roll out its own satellite internet service later this year. It is also working towards deploying about 3,200 satellites by 2029, with a regulatory deadline requiring roughly half of that number to be in orbit by July next year.

Globalstar’s network will continue to support services already used by Apple devices. The company powers features such as Emergency SOS and Find My on iPhones and Apple Watches, and Amazon confirmed it has signed an agreement to maintain those services.

Apple had invested about $1.5 billion in Globalstar in 2024, securing a 20% stake to expand its satellite-based communication features. A new network backed by Apple is expected to increase Globalstar’s satellite count to 54.

Amazon said the acquisition will also allow it to introduce direct-to-device services from 2028. The system is expected to support voice, text and data connections, particularly in areas where mobile networks are unavailable.

Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, said: “There are billions of customers out there living, travelling, and operating in places beyond the reach of existing networks, and we started Amazon Leo to help bridge that divide.”

He added: “By combining Globalstar’s proven expertise and strong foundation with Amazon’s customer-obsession and innovation, customers can expect faster, more reliable service in more places, keeping them connected to the people and things that matter most.”

Despite the expansion, Amazon still faces strong competition. Starlink already operates the largest satellite network in the world, with more than 10,000 satellites and over 9 million users globally.

The service accounts for a significant share of SpaceX’s revenue and is growing through partnerships with telecom operators, including T-Mobile.

Analysts say scale is a big advantage for SpaceX. However, Amazon’s access to Globalstar’s spectrum could help it move faster in direct-to-device services, an area where competition is increasing.

Paul Jacobs, Globalstar’s chief executive, said: “We have long believed low Earth orbit satellite constellations offer the most effective path to truly connect users and devices anywhere and anytime.”

The deal offers Globalstar shareholders $90 per share, or the option to receive Amazon stock. That represents a premium of more than 30% compared with the company’s share price before talks became public.

Shares in Globalstar rose after the announcement, while Amazon’s stock also moved higher.

The transaction is expected to close in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals, including clearance from the Federal Communications Commission, and the achievement of certain deployment milestones.

The post Amazon to Acquire Globalstar in $11.57bn Deal to Boost Satellite Network appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The agreement will allow the mobile operator to link base stations to its core network without laying fibre in difficult terrain.

Instead, it will use satellite backhaul to provide speeds of up to 1 Gbps for download and 400 Mbps for upload.

Vodafone announced the partnership at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company said it will begin connecting sites in Germany and other European countries this year. After that, it will extend the service across Africa through its subsidiary Vodacom.

The first African rollouts are expected in 2026 as Amazon Leo expands its satellite network.

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, already has more than 200 satellites in orbit. The company recently launched 32 additional satellites in February 2026.

It also secured approval from the US Federal Communications Commission to deploy 4,500 more satellites, bringing its planned constellation to 7,700.

That scale places Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, which has over 9,000 satellites in orbit and around 9 million subscribers worldwide.

Rural masts usually sit far from fibre routes and running cables across forests, mountains or flood-prone areas is expensive and slow. Satellite links can be installed faster and at lower cost. They also provide backup if fibre lines are cut or damaged by flooding.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone group chief executive, said: “Vodafone is looking to space to connect more mobile base stations to our core network, and strengthen resilience even in the most challenging environments. Amazon Leo’s new satellite constellation supports our ambition to give all Vodafone customers reliable and high-speed connectivity, wherever they are.”

Panos Panay, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services, said: “Connectivity shouldn’t depend on where you live. With Amazon Leo, we’re helping bring fast, reliable broadband to places traditional infrastructure can’t easily reach, from rural communities to critical emergency networks.

“Partnering with Vodafone and Vodacom is an important step toward connecting millions more people across Europe and Africa and expanding access to the digital services that power modern life.”

Shameel Joosub, chief executive of Vodacom Group, said: “At Vodacom, we are working every day to bring more people in Africa online and in reach of vital digital services. Partnering with Amazon Leo enables us to swiftly deploy mobile connectivity in isolated areas, allowing us to efficiently expand our reach to more customers throughout the African continent.”

Vodafone says the partnership with Amazon Leo will also support the expansion of advanced 5G services in Europe. In Africa, Vodacom links the project to its Vision 2030 targets.

The group aims to reach 260 million customers, grow its financial services business and raise smartphone penetration to 75% by 2030.

Separately, Vodafone is working with AST SpaceMobile on direct satellite-to-smartphone services. The company has not yet announced a launch date for that offering.

The post Vodafone Signs Amazon Leo Deal to Connect Remote 4G, 5G Masts in Europe, Africa appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The network, called TeraWave, will place 5,408 satellites into orbit starting from the fourth quarter of 2027.

Unlike consumer-focused services, Blue Origin says this system is built for governments, data centres and large organisations that need to move large amounts of data reliably and at speed. 

At full capacity, the company claims TeraWave could deliver data rates of up to six terabits per second anywhere on Earth, using optical links between satellites.

The focus is changing from basic broadband to infrastructure that could underpin global computing, national security systems and enterprise operations. Blue Origin says TeraWave is “optimised for enterprise, data centre, and government customers” and could serve up to 100,000 clients worldwide.

This inevitably strengthens Bezos’ competition with Musk. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, is far ahead in scale. By late 2025, it had deployed about 9,300 satellites and built a global user base of more than nine million people across over 155 markets. 

Its model targets households, airlines, ships and businesses, offering typical speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps with low latency.

Elon Musk was quick to respond online, writing on X that “Starlink space to ground laser links will exceed this,” in reference to the speeds Blue Origin is advertising. 

SpaceX has also been pressing regulators to treat satellite systems as essential infrastructure for future wireless networks, showing that it wants formal recognition of Starlink’s strategic role.

What makes TeraWave different is that Blue Origin is building the network as a backbone for future computing needs, including the possibility of data centres operating beyond Earth. 

Musk has openly discussed similar ideas. Commenting last year on the prospect of space-based data centres, he said, “simply scaling up Starlink V3 satellites, which have high-speed laser links would work,” adding: “SpaceX will be doing this.”

Bezos has revealed a similar long-term view, predicting that data centres could begin moving into space within the next decade or two. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has also weighed in, saying the idea may sound “crazy,” but becomes logical when considering the scale of computing demand ahead.

The announcement also sits alongside Amazon’s rebranded consumer satellite project from Project Kuiper to Leo, with plans for more than 3,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites providing standard broadband. 

In Nigeria, regulators have already cleared Kuiper to operate, granting both Internet Service Provider and International Data Access licences, setting up a direct challenge to Starlink in Africa’s largest telecoms market.

The post Bezos’ Blue Origin Takes On Starlink With High-Speed TeraWave Satellite Network appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, will see Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites integrated into Vodacom’s network to provide faster, more reliable internet access for remote communities and businesses. 

The agreement also authorises Vodacom to resell Starlink’s equipment and services across its African markets, opening new possibilities for small businesses, schools, and health centres in areas where traditional infrastructure is expensive or impractical.

Vodacom, majority-owned by Britain’s Vodafone, said the partnership is an important step in its Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to grow its customer base from 223 million to 260 million and expand financial services users to 120 million within five years. 

In adding satellite connectivity to its mix of 4G, 5G, fibre, and microwave services, the company is moving closer to universal coverage across the continent.

Chief Executive Officer Shameel Joosub described the partnership as essential to achieving inclusive connectivity across Africa. “We are delighted to collaborate with Starlink, a move that accelerates our mission to connect every African to the internet. Low Earth orbit satellite technology will help bridge the digital divide where traditional infrastructure is not feasible, and this partnership will unlock new possibilities for the unconnected,” he said.

For Starlink, which is already operational in 25 African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia, the agreement supports its expansion through an established telecom operator with deep local reach. 

Chad Gibbs, vice president of Starlink Operations at SpaceX, noted the partnership’s value: “Starlink is already serving people, businesses, and organisations in 25 African countries. By collaborating with Vodacom, Starlink can deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity to even more customers, transforming lives and communities across the continent.”

Beyond consumer access, Vodacom plans to provide bespoke enterprise solutions powered by Starlink’s satellite technology. These include backup internet services, connectivity packages for remote sites, and flexible plans for industries such as mining, oil and gas, agriculture, tourism, and finance, sectors where downtime can mean significant losses.

The deal also strengthens Vodacom’s competitive stance against MTN Group, which has been exploring its own satellite partnerships. 

Vodafone, Vodacom’s parent company, has already aligned with Amazon’s Project Kuiper and AST SpaceMobile, showing a pivot among global telecom operators towards hybrid terrestrial-satellite networks.

The post Vodacom Partners Starlink to Expand Rural Broadband Access Across Africa appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Over 2,000 customers exited the service between December 2024 and March 2025.

New figures from the Communications Authority (CA) place Starlink’s total fixed internet subscribers at 17,066 by the end of Q1 2025. That’s a drop of over 11% within a single quarter, pulling the company down from the seventh to the eighth spot among internet service providers (ISPs) in Kenya. 

The timing coincides with a prolonged pause in new sign-ups and an aggressive drive by Safaricom to overtake the fixed broadband market.

The collapse in user growth traces back to Starlink’s decision to halt new connections across major urban and peri-urban counties, including Nairobi, Kiambu, and Machakos. 

The reason is overcapacity; too many users, not enough infrastructure. A Nairobi ground station was eventually switched on in January 2025 to ease the burden, but the damage was already done. Many who had spent over KES 45,000 ($348) on Starlink hardware were left waiting, months on end, for access.

Even now, with the waitlist reopened, growth hasn’t recovered. Some customers appear to have abandoned the service altogether, citing connection delays, lack of support, and the high KES 6,500 ($50) monthly fee for speeds of 180 Mbps. 

Meanwhile, Safaricom swooped in with cheaper 5G plans starting at KES 4,000 ($31) per month for 50 Mbps. More importantly, the company cut its router prices from KES 25,000 to KES 3,000, more than ten times cheaper than Starlink’s hardware.

Safaricom’s moves are working. It added nearly 57,000 fixed broadband subscribers in the first quarter of 2025 alone, increasing its market share to 36.5%. Starlink, by comparison, slipped from 1.1% to 0.9%. Even Dimension Data overtook it in the rankings.

Distribution patterns reveal another dimension of Starlink’s challenges. Supermarket chains like Carrefour have started reducing the stock of Starlink kits. Quickmart has shifted to marketing Safaricom’s 5G routers instead. 

The early excitement generated by Elon Musk’s online endorsements and local tech influencers is waning. Starlink’s dominance in satellite internet, currently holding 97% of Kenya’s satellite market, is beginning to look fragile.

And now, regulatory threats are emerging. The CA has proposed a near tenfold increase in satellite licence fees, from KES 1.6 million to KES 15 million. An additional 0.4% levy on annual gross turnover is also on the table. These changes, framed as efforts to create parity between global and local players, will hit Starlink’s margins hard.

Globally, Starlink added more than 1.5 million users in three months, reaching 5.36 million subscribers as of March 2025. Africa accounted for 336,000 of those, marking a 42% rise. But in Kenya, the direction has turned. 

Even with its wide reach into underserved regions and relatively high speeds, Starlink’s challenges might soon move beyond technical, to financial, political, and strategic. 

The post Starlink Loses 2,000+ Subscribers in Kenya as Safaricom Adds 57,000 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Now is the chance to secure a Starlink kit at an exceptional price and experience the transformative power of high-speed internet.

Throughout the week, Konga has been dedicated to making Starlink’s cutting-edge technology more accessible to Nigerians.

The ecommerce giant offered Starlink kits and accessories at reduced prices, along with perks that have made this offer hard to resist.

In addition to the unmatched prices, Konga included free nationwide delivery to ensure that customers from every corner of Nigeria benefited from this offer.

Konga also provided free same-day delivery in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, ensuring that customers can start enjoying their Starlink experience almost immediately.

As Starlink Week draws to a close, this is the final call for those who still need to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

The discounted prices, combined with the exceptional delivery options, represent a rare opportunity to invest in a technology that has revolutionized internet accessibility across the globe.

Konga’s Starlink Week has been more than just a promotional event; it has been a gateway to connectivity, offering Nigerians a reliable solution to their internet needs.

Starlink provides the service you need to stay connected wherever you are in Nigeria.

Take advantage of this exclusive opportunity.

Visit konga today or walk into any of Konga’s retail stores to secure your Starlink kit before the campaign ends.

The post Last Chance to Secure Discounted Starlink Kits at Konga appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.