Amazon to Acquire Apple's 20% Stake in Globalstar

Amazon has informed the FCC that it will take over Apple’s 20% stake in Globalstar as part of its planned acquisition of the satellite connectivity company. The disclosure comes via an “Application for Consent to Assign and Transfer Control of Licenses and Authorizations” filed with the regulator.

The filing was spotted by PCMag. It follows last month’s announcement that Amazon would acquire Globalstar. As a result of that transaction, Amazon will assume Apple’s equity position in the company.

In late 2024, an FTC filing showed that Apple would expand its investment in Globalstar to $1.1 billion, up from the $300 million originally tied to their satellite connectivity partnership. That partnership powers the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on iPhones.

Under the terms of the expanded deal, Globalstar committed 85% of its satellite capacity to Apple. In exchange, Apple agreed to acquire a 20% stake in the company in the form of 400,000 Class B shares.

Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar is valued at $11.6 billion. The transaction is structured in steps. Amazon first combines with Globalstar through a newly created subsidiary called Grapefruit Acquisition Sub II, LLC. Immediately following the second step of the proposed transaction, Grapefruit Acquisition Sub II, LLC will acquire Apple Inc.’s 20% equity and voting interests in Globalstar Licensee LLC.

The filing states: “Grapefruit Acquisition Sub II, LLC will acquire Apple Inc.s 20% equity and voting interests in Globalstar Licensee LLC immediately following step two of the proposed Transaction.”

Amazon reaffirms that the deal won’t disrupt Globalstar’s existing work with Apple. The company promises to keep Globalstar satellite service working for iPhone users. At the same time, Amazon argues the acquisition will enable a broader expansion, stating that the proposed combination will enable Amazon to build a next-generation, global D2D network purpose-built for service to smartphones and other mobile devices across multiple carriers and vendors.

The FCC filing provides regulatory transparency into how ownership of the satellite licenses and authorizations will shift. It positions the Amazon-Globalstar transaction as a step toward wider satellite-to-device connectivity beyond any single vendor’s ecosystem while preserving current commitments to Apple’s iPhone feature set.