Factbox: Global satellite internet companies at a glance

Eutelsat Communications SA

14/04/2026 13:53

April 14 (Reuters) - Amazon.com AMZN.O said on Tuesday it would buy satellite company Globalstar GSAT.O in an $11.57 billion deal, as it looks to take on bigger rival SpaceX's Starlink.

Satellite internet is taking off as cheaper launches, better technology and rising demand for coverage in remote areas make space-based networks more viable.

What began mainly as a way to connect rural households has now expanded into aviation, shipping, defense, emergency messaging and direct-to-phone services.

Below is a snapshot of major satellite internet operators, including where they are based, their planned constellation size and current deployment status.

Company
Headquarters
Target satellites
Status
Starlink (SpaceX)
Hawthorne, California, U.S.
15,000 authorized Gen2 satellites; long-term goal of 42,000
More than 9,500 operational satellites in orbit
Amazon Leo
Redmond, Washington, U.S.
3,236 initial satellites
Early deployment stage; over 200 satellites in orbit so far
Eutelsat OneWeb ETL.PA
Paris, France/London, UK
440 planned in next-generation extension
First-generation constellation of over 600 satellites
Globalstar
Covington, Louisiana, U.S.
32 active low earth orbit satellites in the near-term; next-generation expansion could involve thousands
Twenty-four satellites focused on IoT and emergency messaging
Telesat Lightspeed TSAT.TO
Ottawa, Canada
Planned launch of 150–200 satellites starting 2026–2027
Pre-operational and in manufacturing
AST SpaceMobile ASTS.O
Midland, Texas, U.S.
45-60 satellites targeted in 2026
Early deployment stage with 6 satellites in orbit

 (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)

 ((Anhata.Rooprai@thomsonreuters.com))