AST SpaceMobile’s ambition to acquire Ligado’s space bandwidth over the US is close to finalising. A statement from Ligado said: “We have reached an agreement in principle with all of the parties, so with Inmarsat, with AST, and with our two ad-hoc creditor groups…” The final judicial hearing will be on May 29th (if uncontested) says the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

AST made its move in January to acquire an 80-year long-term access to up to 45 MHz of L-band spectrum in the US from Ligado Networks. This includes up to 40 MHz of L-band Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum and an additional 5 MHz in the 1670-1675 MHz band. The deal allows AST SpaceMobile to expand its direct-to-device satellite network.

When the agreement wraps Ligado will receive a one-time payment of $550 million, approximately $80 million annually for spectrum usage, and long-term net revenue-sharing rights. This deal is expected to help AST SpaceMobile expand its space-based cellular broadband network, potentially increasing data transmission speeds to 120 Mbps and

“Adding premium lower midband spectrum access in the United States to the AST SpaceMobile network [using Ligado’s spectrum] gives us long-term access to a large block of a scarce resource, significantly enhancing our planned space-based cellular broadband offering,” said Abel Avellan, chairman and CEO at AST, speaking in January.

Meanwhile, Ligado is still pursuing the US Dept. of Defense and other US agencies over its claimed transmission rights, and compensation.

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Categories: Articles, Business, M&A, Satellite

Tags: AST SpaceMobile, Ligado