SpaceX, Globalstar, and Amazon Unveil Next-Gen Networks: How Will the Future of Space Communications Impact the Telecommunications Industry?

On February 14, Globalstar submitted a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing revealing its next-generation Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, which received an additional US$1.1 billion in funding from Apple. The constellation, titled “C-3,” is stated to augment the existing Globalstar constellation and will consist of 48 operational satellites and up to 6 inactive spares at an orbital altitude of 1,414 Kilometers (km), a 52-degree inclination, and operate on the same Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) frequency bands (L-band and S-band). An additional 90 new earth station antennas at approximately 35 gateway earth station facilities located in at least 25 countries and territories around the world will be built to support the network expansion.

Likewise, SpaceX’s 2024 Progress Report reveals the intended design specifications for Starlink Version 3 (V3) satellites. It is stated that these satellites will be optimized to be launched by SpaceX’s two-stage fully reusable super-heavy lift launcher, Starship. While the total number of V3 satellites to be deployed isn’t stated, each Starship launch of V3 satellites is planned to add 60 Terabits per Second (Tbps) of network capacity and each satellite will boast 1 Tbps of downlink and 160 Gigabits per Second (Gbps) of uplink capacity, which is more than 10X the downlink and 24X the uplink capacity of the V2 Mini Starlink satellites. Each satellite will also have nearly 4 Tbps of combined Radio Frequency (RF) and laser backhaul capacity.

Finally, Amazon’s Project Kuiper network specifications, revealed in its FCC application to launch and operate, will consist of 3,236 software-defined Ka-band LEO satellites in three orbital shells at orbital altitudes of 590 km, 610 km, and 630 km. The antenna technology and software-defined control functionality will allow flexible frequency and capacity allocation depending on the needs of customers within a given region. Amazon currently has 6 antenna-equipped facilities that support satellite-to-ground communications located in Sweden, Bahrain, Australia, Ireland, and two in the United States, as well as 12 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ground Stations (connected to regional AWS infrastructure) that work with the satellite network. 

• Globalstar C-3: The new Globalstar C-3 satellites will feature higher gain and higher Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) transmit technology, dynamic beamforming, and more robust signal strength on the ground. Globalstar claims that this technology will enable users to have improved link-budget in buildings and vehicles, and less dependency on antenna orientation. This indoor building and inside vehicular connectivity is likely enabled by an external antenna attached to the external fabric of the building/vehicle. While it wasn’t stated in the filing, Globalstar has contracted MDA Space for the construction of MDA AURORA software-defined digital satellites, allowing the network to be dynamically reprogrammed in orbit and rapidly deploy new services. Ultimately, this positions the new Globalstar-Apple network as a Direct-to-Cellular (D2C) and Internet of Things (IoT) powerhouse, capable of connecting smaller and more inexpensive IoT devices, as well as the “hundreds of millions” of devices in the Apple ecosystem. Furthermore, the network’s programmability allows the satellites to adopt and operate on new frequency bands and upload new software to accommodate new connectivity standards, potentially like New Radio (NR)-NTN or IoT-NTN. While the system will be smaller in size and capacity compared to those of larger competitors, ultimately limiting the scale of certain applications, the new network is uniquely positioned to capture the valuable Apple D2C/Direct-to-Device (D2D) ecosystem.
• SpaceX Starlink Gen 3: Alongside Starlink’s recent authorization to lower its orbital shells lower than any other network in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to ~300 km), Starlink’s V3 satellites are poised to unlock far greater throughput capabilities for the network. The only network that currently comes close is SES’ O3b mPOWER, which can deliver connectivity with 150 Millisecond (ms) latencies and 10 Gbps throughput, and targets the enterprise connectivity and backhaul market. With V3 promising superior performance for even this network, it seems apparent that SpaceX will be going after these same high-value markets. Alongside this, it appears that Gen 3 will be the demand engine for Starship launches (and vice versa); therefore, both technologies will need to be brought online before Gen 3 becomes a reality. So, it's likely then that Gen 3 will, at least for many years, be an expansion of the total Starlink network (with an entirely new FCC filing) alongside the existing Gen 1 and Gen 2 filings, making the network more akin to a LEO Swiss Army Knife or “wave” of connectivity.
• Amazon Kuiper: With the mass deployment of Software-Defined Satellites (SDS) interconnected using Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs), the Amazon Kuiper satellite network will be well positioned to provide more robust connectivity and coverage via a reprogrammable mesh networking architecture. This mesh network topology reduces reliance on ground stations by routing data through multiple satellites before downlinking, significantly lowering latency compared to traditional bent-pipe, or transparent architectures. Additionally, Project Kuiper’s 12 global gateway stations being connected with AWS Regions via dedicated fiber links that enable the network to uniquely provide public Internet (gateway → AWS Region → public web), private cloud (gateway → AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)), and hybrid cloud (gateway → on-premises data centers via AWS Direct Connect) data routing pathways. Furthermore, Project Kuiper’s private networking feature allows enterprises to establish direct, encrypted links between user terminals and AWS GovCloud or commercial regions, bypassing public Internet infrastructure. These features all culminate in Amazon Project Kuiper being poised to become the foundational connectivity layer for AWS’ next-generation distributed cloud ecosystem.

Ultimately, the opportunity to interconnect and enhance ubiquitous connectivity—leveraging these “New Space” networks that redefine both performance and cost—should be an exciting proposition for Communication Service Providers (CSPs), enterprises, and consumers.

The space industry is undergoing a categorical shift toward more agile and integrated networking. The evolution to SDS fundamentally transform satellite networks into agile, multi-band platforms capable of adopting new connectivity standards and protocols. However, maximizing this potential requires advancements in phased-array antenna technology, global spectrum harmonization, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven resource management. As these challenges are addressed, SDS will emerge as the cornerstone of converged terrestrial-satellite 6G networks, delivering ubiquitous connectivity across all frequency bands. In this ways, “New Space” satellite networks will have the ability to unlock the full potential of IoT and D2C markets, while unlocking new market opportunities, especially as more devices gain connectivity and embed intelligence layers. Indeed, these networks will soon embed intelligence layers of their own in space on the satellites themselves for predictive resource allocation that can be allocated to a variety of compute, cloud, or connectivity applications.

Despite the promise these new software-defined and intelligent satellite networks bring, regulatory hurdles remain that influence frequency agility and deployment of intelligence on networks. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regulations require satellite operators to secure country-specific licensing for each band, a process complicated by SDS’ ability to shift frequencies on demand and require geofencing software for band restriction. Furthermore, the deployment of AI-enhanced NTNs and solutions, while innovative, will need to navigate a constantly evolving regulatory landscape. ABI Research intends to explore the relevance and impact of AI integration into satellite and converged networks, as well as the evolving regulatory trends impacting the space industry in our Space Technologies & Innovation Research Service.