Texas-based AST SpaceMobile, which says it building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio, has explained how its much-needed financing is shaping up. AST has already launched the massive ‘BlueWalker 3’ satellite. Each satellite comprises flat […]

Space-based cellular broadband network operator AST SpaceMobile is planning to launch its satellite to smartphone service in Q1 2024. It revealed the plan as it provided its business update for the third quarter ended September 30th, 2023. “The manufacturing of our first five commercial satellites is at full speed at our Texas facilities, and we […]

SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite service has established ‘direct.starlink.com’ for its Direct-to-Cell service promising “seamless access to text, voice, and data for LTE phones across the globe”. The new service will be available from 2024/2025 (depending on its service partners). Those initial reciprocal cellular partners are named as: T-Mobile, Canada’s Rogers; Australia’s Optus; New Zealand’s One NZ, […]

AST SpaceMobile, a company building space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has announced another unprecedented leap in telecommunications by successfully making the first-ever 5G connection for voice and data between an everyday, unmodified smartphone and a satellite in space. Company engineers demonstrated space-based 5G connectivity by placing a call from Maui, […]

AST SpaceMobile has secured a financing package sufficient to launch its first five direct-to-cellular satellites. The fresh money, worth $100 million (€91.9m), comes on top of other recent financial input into the business. The cash comes from Atlas Credit Partners (ACP). The investment builds upon AST’s $800 million existing capital base. The ACP credit facility […]

AST SpaceMobile is building what it claims will be the “first and only” space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard smart phones. “AST SpaceMobile continues to make history. This quarter we achieved space-based 4G LTE cellular broadband capabilities to everyday smartphones, reaching speeds above 10 Mbps during BlueWalker 3 testing alongside AT&T, Vodafone and […]

The BlueWalker 3 low Earth orbit satellite, in test transmissions, communicated with everyday smartphones reaching initial download speeds above 10 Mbps during Hawaii testing. AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, announced it has achieved repeated successful download speeds above 10 Mbps during […]

In November 2022, AST SpaceMobile reported that it had successfully managed to unfold the ‘origami-like’ giant 64 square metre space antenna. Called BlueWalker-3, the antenna is the largest-ever placed into space and in low Earth orbit. The antenna, and its important sister craft, are vital to AST’s plans to girdle the planet with ordinary – […]

AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has provided an operational update on the BlueWalker 3 (BW3), Block 1 BlueBird and next-generation BlueBird programmes. “The achievements to date for BlueWalker 3 validate the design roadmap for our BlueBirds, including deploying and flying the […]

AST SpaceMobile, the company building what it claims is the first space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has confirmed the closing of its offering of 13,636,364 shares of Class A Common Stock raising gross proceeds of $75 million (€71.1m). Riley Securities (B. Riley) was the sole book-running manager of the offering. […]