By Sophia, Original Content
According to foreign media reports, Amazon Leo, Amazon's satellite internet business, recently filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy up to 5,105 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to build a "Direct-to-Device" (D2D) communication network. The D2D system will operate in conjunction with Leo's first- and second-generation satellite broadband systems, as well as Globalstar's HIBLEO and C-3 satellite constellations, thereby extending Leo satellite connectivity directly to compatible mobile devices. If approved by telecommunications regulators, the network will go online in early 2028.
D2D is emerging as a new focal point of competition in the satellite communication industry in recent years. Unlike traditional satellite communications that rely on dedicated satellite phones or large ground terminals, D2D technology aims to enable ordinary consumer smartphones, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, and various connected devices to establish direct connections with LEO satellites without the need for deploying additional complex equipment or routing through terrestrial cellular base stations. This means that in scenarios where traditional communication networks struggle to provide coverage, such as deserts, oceans, polar regions, mountainous areas, and disaster zones, satellites are expected to become a crucial complement to terrestrial cellular networks, gradually turning the vision of "global seamless connectivity" into reality.
In a statement, Amazon said, "Billions of people around the world live in areas not covered by existing communication networks. The Amazon Leo core system will help bridge this gap by providing high-speed, low-latency broadband services to consumers, businesses, and government customers." Meanwhile, this foray into the D2D sector is also viewed by the industry as a significant step for Amazon Leo to benchmark against and even directly challenge SpaceX's Starlink satellite-to-smartphone strategy.
How Does the Amazon Leo D2D Network Operate?
Citing official sources, Leo will distribute its D2D satellites across five orbital shells, with each shell optimized for different regions of the Earth. The three mid-latitude orbital shells will provide dense coverage for densely populated areas, while the higher-inclination shells will extend coverage to polar regions. The specific plans for the five orbital shells are as follows:
Mid-Latitude Coverage:
Shell 1: Orbital altitude 580 km, orbital inclination 55.7°
Shell 2: Orbital altitude 560 km, orbital inclination 58.2°
Shell 3: Orbital altitude 510 km, orbital inclination 56.3°
High-Latitude Coverage:
Shell 4: Orbital altitude 570 km, orbital inclination 73°
Near-Polar Coverage:
Shell 5: Orbital altitude 540 km, orbital inclination 84°
These satellites will communicate with mobile devices via dedicated radio frequency bands, including L-band and S-band spectrum links. These valuable radio spectrum resources stem from Amazon's recent $11.6 billion acquisition of Globalstar. Compared to traditional bands, the MSS (Mobile Satellite Service) bands perform better in penetrating buildings and obstacles, providing a natural signal coverage advantage for direct-to-smartphone scenarios.
Meanwhile, the connection between the satellites and Amazon's ground stations will utilize independent high-capacity wireless links, including Ka-band and V-band spectrum. These links are responsible for carrying the aggregated data traffic between the satellite network and the internet. Their function is similar to the backhaul connection in cellular base stations, which is responsible for transmitting data accessed by terminals to the core network.
Unlike traditional satellites that merely relay signals to the ground, Leo's D2D satellites will process signals in orbit before relaying them to enhance communication performance. In addition, Leo's D2D satellites will be equipped with optical inter-satellite links, which use lasers to establish connections between satellites in orbit, thereby supporting intelligent traffic scheduling and routing within the entire satellite constellation.
These satellites will employ digital beamforming and beam-hopping technologies to precisely direct concentrated communication signals to the exact locations and times where they are needed. This approach can expand coverage while reducing unnecessary power consumption and signal interference. Combined with the advanced signal processing technologies described below, this solution will achieve higher spectrum utilization efficiency compared to traditional satellite communication systems:
Tight adjacent channel performance: The satellites will confine signal energy within the allocated frequency channels, minimizing leakage into adjacent bands to protect other operators while increasing available capacity.
Dual-polarization reception: The satellites will simultaneously receive signals in two polarizations, thereby increasing the amount of information captured from the same band and improving signal quality for low-power mobile devices.
Adaptive modulation and coding: The system will continuously adjust the data coding scheme based on real-time signal conditions, providing higher data rates when conditions are favorable and maintaining reliable connections when conditions are unfavorable.
Overall, the Leo D2D system will complement existing core broadband services by providing high-speed connectivity directly to compatible mobile devices. Previously, Amazon Leo announced an agreement with Apple to provide satellite services for supported iPhone and Apple Watch models, including Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My via satellite, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, and will collaborate with Apple to develop future satellite services leveraging the expanded network. Beyond personal use, D2D services will also support various functionalities, such as: providing uninterrupted communication for disaster response, global fleet management, remote operations across workplaces and supply chains, IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity for remote sensors, and emergency messaging when terrestrial networks are unavailable.
Despite High Industry Enthusiasm, the D2D Sector Is Just Getting Started
In fact, prior to Amazon's recent announcement of its D2D deployment, satellite operators, traditional telecom operators, and mobile ecosystem companies have already turned their attention to this emerging track. According to a report released by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) in February, D2D services have been launched in 15 countries/regions. Additionally, 61 other countries and regions are planning, evaluating, testing, or have already initiated satellite-to-smartphone partnership projects.
For instance, the French telecom operator Orange announced partnerships with AST SpaceMobile and Satellite Connect Europe, planning to pilot and promote satellite direct-to-device services in Romania, providing users with mobile connectivity capabilities including voice, SMS, and data. Orange CEO Christel Heydemann has been actively advocating for European sovereignty in the satellite sector and calling for enhanced competitiveness of European networks, including the EU's planned IRIS2 project, to counter competitors such as Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's (AMZN.US) upcoming LEO satellite network. Meanwhile, Telefónica is also exploring the launch of D2D services in the Spanish and German markets through its partnership with Satellite Connect Europe, hoping to extend traditional mobile communication coverage via satellite networks.
As an industry leader, Starlink unveiled the next phase of its direct-to-device satellite strategy at the MWC26 conference, renaming it Starlink Mobile. This service will operate on the company's second-generation LEO satellites and adopt the 3GPP Release-19 NR-NTN standard. For users at the edge of satellite coverage, this can improve connection quality by up to ten times.
Looking at China, the three major telecom operators have all obtained licenses for satellite mobile communication services and can legally carry out businesses such as direct-to-satellite mobile connections. For example, China Mobile's direct-to-satellite mobile project is advancing steadily; Satellite 02 has completed uplink and downlink link testing, and the new-generation test satellite, Satellite 03, may be launched at an appropriate time in the near future.
These cases illustrate that D2D is becoming a new direction for competition in the satellite communication industry. Industry data shows that the global D2D satellite connectivity market size was $4.8 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $34.6 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of up to 24.5% from 2026 to 2034. However, it must be emphasized that despite the high enthusiasm from capital and the industry, D2D as a whole remains in the early stages of development.
As a testing firm, Ookla mapped the progress of the D2D market using data from Android smartphones based on satellite registration data from Starlink, Skylo, and Lynk—the data shows that despite the broad prospects, current D2D services still account for only a small fraction of the global mobile communication industry overall, and in countries where the service is available, only a tiny percentage of mobile users are connected to D2D satellites. For example, in March 2026, only 0.46% of U.S. Speedtest® users were connected to D2D satellites (as shown in the figure below), while the proportion was 1.26% in Chile (the highest), 0.70% in Canada, and 0.11% in Japan (the lowest).
These results are not surprising. GSMA Intelligence recently pointed out that terrestrial networks already cover 96% of the global population, and D2D connections can typically only be used outdoors, not indoors (where smartphones are used most frequently). "In practice, most mobile users will not frequently need D2D connections," the company stated.
Furthermore, because D2D is still in the initial stage of commercialization, costs remain relatively high, and users are highly price-sensitive. Ookla's data shows that despite overall global growth, the number of D2D connections in the U.S. and Canada has actually decreased in recent months. Analysis suggests this is related to U.S. carrier T-Mobile and Canadian carrier Rogers starting to charge some users. Since both T-Mobile and Rogers have ended their free trial phases, they have only bundled Starlink D2D into high-end plans; other users need to pay separately, with a monthly fee of about $10, and users of other operators are charged at this same standard if they wish to use the service.
In short, although many companies are ramping up their investments in D2D, the industry cannot simply view it as the "certain winner" of next-generation communication technology. In the coming years, D2D needs to pass the test of transitioning from "technical showmanship" to "large-scale operations." What truly determines the competitive landscape is not just the number of satellites, but who can first achieve a closed-loop business model.
Conclusion
The rise of D2D marks the transition of satellite communication from "supplementary connectivity for a few scenarios" to a global connectivity infrastructure for mass-market terminals and massive IoT (Internet of Things) devices. What all players are competing for is not just a satellite communication business, but a key entry point in the future integrated space-terrestrial network. Of course, D2D still needs to overcome challenges in technology, cost, and business models before achieving true popularization. However, what is certain is that as satellites, cellular networks, and IoT (Internet of Things) accelerate their integration, the global connectivity landscape is undergoing a profound restructuring.
References:
How Amazon Leo plans to connect mobile devices from space——Amazon
The D2D industry, still in its infancy, is showing steady progress.——OOKLA
Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity Market Research Report 2034——marketintelo
Planning to deploy 5,105 satellites, Amazon enters the satellite-to-smartphone market——Communications World
SpaceX unveils Starlink Mobile D2D service——RCR wireless