Notwithstanding reports of a further delay to the launch date for AST SpaceMobile’s latest FM1 satellite, the company says it has completed development of the electronics board with its new AST5000 ASIC chip – the cornerstone of the company’s next-generation BlueBird satellites. “After five years of rigorous engineering and production, representing an equivalent of 150+ […]

AST SpaceMobile’s FM1 craft is reportedly not going to be launched as speedily as hoped. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is responsible for launching the important broadband satellite, it can happen before the end of [India’s] financial year, which is December 31st. There have been numerous reports that ISRO is not […]

The banking analysts have had time to chew over AST SpaceMobile’s half-year update. The advice given is – at best – mixed. Some analysts have increased their Price Targets while other have reduced or softened their Targets. Recent Analyst Price Target Changes for AST: · B Riley was $44, now $60 · Deutsche Bank was […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST), which is planning a global broadband-capable direct-to-device satellite service to ordinary smartphones, supplied some answers to analysts on its Q2 results statement late in the afternoon of August 11th. Top of the list concerned its much-delayed launch of its second-generation FM1 satellite. It will be delivered to the launch site in India […]

Texas-based AST SpaceMobile (AST) will hold its Q2 investors update later today (August 11th) at 5pm Eastern Time. Investors and analysts are keen to know more on AST’s launch and business plans. Some observers are suggesting that an Indian rocket launch of AST’s Bluebird FM1 heavyweight craft is delayed, perhaps beyond September. However, there are […]

A new wave of partnerships between telcos and satellite/non-terrestrial network (NTN) players is reshaping the connectivity landscape, but the market remains far from mature, analyst house STL Partners has reported in its satellite tracker report Skywatch. STL Partners’ analysis of 74 announcements since January 2024 reveals a striking trend: only 20 per cent of the […]

Texas-based AST SpaceMobile has struck an agreement with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for global S-band priority transmission rights. Under the deal, AST will acquire Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum rights in the 1980–2010 MHz and 2170–2200 MHz frequency bands for use in low-earth orbit. The transaction aligns with the company’s 3GPP global spectrum framework […]

India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is contracted to launch an important heavyweight satellite (FM1) for AST Space Mobile (AST). The launch was originally said to happen in June, then the date slipped to July. Then to August. But now there’s talk of a further delay. India news sources say that – in essence – the […]

AST SpaceMobile, which is building a satellite-based system to provide global 5G cellular access, says it will see 20 of its powerful Block 2 satellites launched this year. The first of that number will be launched during August on nan Indian rocket. It already has five of its earlier Block 1 satellites in orbit which […]

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Waymo self-driving cars and dozens of other subsidiaries, is further investing in would-be satellite direct-to-consumer cellular activity AST SpaceMobile. Google is already a strategic investor in AST SpaceMobile, having participated in a $155 million (€132.6m) investment round alongside AT&T and Vodafone in January 2024. The investment supported AST SpaceMobile’s […]