AST opens Satellite Connect Europe with Vodafone; Orange MoU
March 2, 2026
By Chris Forrester
The Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile joint-venture for European connectivity to its orbiting satellites has been officially opened. ‘Satellite Connect Europe’ is already investing in new ground stations in Germany, UK, Spain and France, all supported by a state-of-the-art control centre in Germany, a major satellite production facility in Barcelona, and test lab in Malaga, Spain. The new operation is based in Luxembourg.
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is now active and further announcements are expected. AST will also release its Q4 business report on March 2nd after the US market closes.
In a statement, industry consultant Peter Lindmark, says “Crucially, Satellite Connect Europe will offer exclusive, European-operated access to AST SpaceMobile’s satellite network. This ensures that network operations, data handling, and service control remain within European jurisdiction.”
“The initiative aligns closely with the EU’s sovereignty policy agenda, a topic that has recently garnered significant political focus and is increasingly shaping corporate strategies across Europe. At its core, sovereignty emphasizes resiliency and the protection of critical national infrastructure, including supply chain resilience and maintaining control over the location and accessibility of data.”
Another expert opinion, from Luke Pearce, an analyst at CCS Insight, said: “The venture will be key in attempting to secure a European licence for a Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) licence in the next year or so which will vastly improve capabilities to offer broadband mobile services to customers on standard smartphones.”
Some forecasts suggest that the potential globally for AST amounts to some 3.2 billion enabled devices (including IoT connections).
In related news, Orange has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with AST and Satellite Connect Europe, related to collaboration on Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology in relevant Orange markets. Through this initiative, Orange intends to complement its terrestrial network coverage even in the most remote areas and to enhance its service resilience.
In particular, Orange and Satellite Connect Europe will conduct D2D satellite connectivity demonstrations in Romania focusing on voice, SMS and data in the second half of 2026. In addition, the collaboration includes exploring specific measures to support European security requirements and studying the integration into a Core Network managed by Orange.
The agreement fully aligns with Orange’s new strategic plan, Trust the future.
Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of Orange, commented: “Direct-to-Device satellite connectivity is an essential complement to our mobile networks, ensuring 100 per cent connectivity for our customers wherever they are located. I am delighted to announce today the launch of tests in Romania with AST SpaceMobile through Satellite Connect Europe joint venture. As part of our Trust the future strategy, we are committed to providing trusted, secure solutions that comply with European regulations.”
Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, said: “Together with Orange, we are advancing space-based cellular broadband to support seamless connectivity for everyday smartphones. By leveraging our purpose-built satellite network, this initiative marks meaningful progress toward expanding resilient coverage across more geographies and eliminating coverage gaps to extend mobile broadband everywhere.”
Meredith Sharples, Satellite Connect Europe Managing Director, added: “Satellite Connect Europe is here to connect European operators – to complement rather than compete – and we look forward to working with Orange to demonstrate the power of this direct-to-device satellite technology. This MoU is another recognition of the need for a satellite provider that is focused on European MNOs. We are proud to support the Orange ambition to deliver always-available connectivity.”
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