GoKawiil
Tech News
The FCC has approved Amazon Leo's $11.5 billion acquisition of satellite operator Globalstar, which currently provides Apple's emergency satellite connectivity for iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple previously held a 20 percent stake in Globalstar before the takeover, and under the new deal Leo will take over powering those satellite services for supported Apple devices.
The FCC has cleared Amazon Leo to acquire mobile-satellite operator Globalstar in an $11.5 billion deal. The regulator said combining the companies' assets should boost Leo's entry into direct-to-device satellite service and expand coverage for residential, business and government customers. Globalstar currently powers Apple's emergency satellite connectivity on compatible iPhones and Watches, and Leo will take over that role under the deal.
Amazon announced a partnership with Uzbek ISP Uztelecom to deploy its Leo satellite internet service in remote and hard-to-reach areas of Uzbekistan, including mountainous and desert regions where cabled infrastructure is difficult to install. The service will supplement Uztelecom's existing network, which already reaches 96 percent of communities, though Leo has not yet launched publicly and is still being tested internally and with select enterprise customers ahead of a rollout later this year.