AST SpaceMobile used the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona to confirm the addition of two key Canadian partners – Bell and Telus – for its satellite-based cellular service. The news adds a potential 21 million connections for AST.

“By combining Telus’ award-winning wireless network and AST SpaceMobile’s innovative satellite technology, we’re eliminating connectivity gaps across Canada and ensuring our customers in even the most remote corners of the country can stay connected to what matters most, when it matters the most,” said Nazim Benhadid, CTO, Telus Networks, in a statement. “This is a significant milestone in our commitment to keep all Canadians connected, no matter where they live, work or explore.”

By becoming a shareholder in AST and investing directly in ground-based satellite infrastructure, Telus said it is securing its position in the direct-to-cell market.

The partnership aims to launch service by late 2026, allowing Canadians to use their existing, unmodified smartphones to text, call and browse data in remote regions where traditional towers do not exist, said a statement.

The news helped s slew of banks uplift their share price targets for AST. For example, Roth Capital upped AST’s estimates through 2030 to saying anticipated launches have AST’s constellation on track for late 2026 commercialisation. The company’s 2027 sales are expected to approach $1 billion, supported by increasing mobile network operator activity and government opportunities, the bank tells investors in a research note. Roth upped its price target from $82.50 to $108.

Another investment house, Clear Street reiterated its ‘BUY’ recommendation for clients, and its $137 price target. Clear Street says: “We remain constructive on the core Direct-to-Cell (D2D) opportunity. Existing Mobile Network Operator (MNO) partnerships provide access to nearly 3B potential subscribers, with additional agreements expected in 2026. Competitive pressure from Starlink should further increase MNO reliance on ASTS for coverage expansion.”

William Blair did not set a new price target but maintained a ‘Market Perform’ rating on AST and a price of $86.92.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, MNO, Mobile, Satellite

Tags: AST SpaceMobile, canada, MWC