AST SpaceMobile (AST) is expected to launch the first of its giant ‘second generation’ BlueBird satellites in July, and eventually will have around 250 satellites in orbit and will provide global direct-to-cellular and other broadband services. Bankers are getting increasingly enthusiastic about the company. Deutsche Bank, for example, in one of its ‘Stocks in Focus’ […]

AST SpaceMobile has issued a prospectus with the aim of raising a half-billion dollars. AST says it will sell fresh shares in the company. It is using B. Riley Securities, Barclays Capital, BofA Securities, Cantor Fitzgerald, Deutsche Bank, Roth Capital Partners, Scotia Capital (USA), UBS Securities and William Blair & Co will act as sales […]

AST SpaceMobile has issued its Q1 results and provided analysts with more detail on its launch schedules and business plan for the next few months. AST is planning to supply connectivity to consumers ‘smart’ phones anywhere on the planet. CEO Abel Avellan told analysts that the company was at an inflection point, noting: “We are […]

Japan has four cellular network operators with three of them controlling some 80 per cent of the market. Rakuten, currently Number 4 in the hierarchy with about 3 per cent market share, is looking to grow its ‘Direct-to-Consumer’ satellite connectivity share thanks to AST SpaceMobile. NTT Docomo, the largest player, does not – as yet […]

US telco giant AT&T has updated its customers on the impact that satellite operator AST SpaceMobile (AST) will make when its communication services go ‘live’. AT&T told customers: “We’re working with AST SpaceMobile to one day offer a full suite of connectivity: voice, data, text, and video services in remote, off-grid locations. Our customers will […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST), a would-be supplier of direct-to-consumer cellular telephony from space, has told the FCC that it will have 243 of its BlueBird satellites in orbit by the end of 2028. The schedule will see 100 working in orbit by the end of next year, then 72 additional craft each year until 2028. AST […]

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr last week visited the AST SpaceMobile (AST) satellite manufacturing facility in Midland, Texas. He was accompanied by Republican senator Ted Cruz on the visit. AST is building a mega-constellation of high-output satellites that will deliver broadband and voice calls direct to a consumer’s ordinary handsets. Chairman […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST) activated one of its first BlueBird satellites over Japan in order to make a video call with staff from cellular telco Rakuten, its partner operator in Japan. Abel Avellan, CEO at AST, commented: “Another historic first! We completed our initial activation of our first BlueBird satellites in Japan with Rakuten Mobile to […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST) already has five of its Mark 1 ‘BlueWalker’ satellites in orbit but they are far from enough to provide even close to decent coverage of its direct-to-consumer cellular coverage. Key to its 2025 strategy is to launch the larger and more powerful BlueBird satellites. India was initially reported to launch the first […]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted AST SpaceMobile, in coordination with AT&T, the ability to test direct-to-cellular connectivity on public safety’s Band 14 spectrum via its BlueBird satellites orbiting Earth. With this approval, it is envisioned that select first responders on FirstNet, Built with AT&T will trial public-safety-grade satellite communications later in 2025. AT&T […]