AST SpaceMobile has received another boost from an investment bank. Bank of America has given a price target of $55. What’s somewhat remarkable is that the Bank has only included conventional commercial activity for its ‘Direct-to-Consumer’ space-based cellular service. The Bank has left out potential revenues from Defence or Government demands, both expected to figure […]

A Delaware bankruptcy court on June 23rd approved the long-term acquisition by AST SpaceMobile (AST) of Ligado’s L-band spectrum over North America. The judge, Thomas Horan, was brief in saying: “I am going to grant the motion today. The motion is granted”. The motion in question was that AST would pay $568 million (€490m) to […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST), which is planning a global satellite broadband system and already has extensive links with Vodafone, has formally confirmed a partnership with Vodafone Idea (Vi). The collaboration will bring D2D satellite broadband connectivity to India, supporting Digital India’s vision of universal mobile access, said AST. India is one of the world’s largest and […]

AST SpaceMobile will pay around $550 million (€474.9m) to Ligado for its L-band spectrum over North America. The news was confirmed late on June 13th. The payment will allow Ligado itself to pay the $535 million it owes to Viasat/Inmarsat. The Viasat payment will then see the end of its objections it has over Ligado’s Chapter […]

Vodafone, now more accurately called VodafoneThree following its £15 billion merger with Three, says it will connect its 27 million customers wherever they are in the UK, and “by this time next year” will use a beta-trial of satellite coverage provided by AST SpaceMobile . “A new era of connectivity has begun,” said Max Taylor, […]

AST SpaceMobile’s ambition to acquire Ligado’s space bandwidth over the US is close to finalising. A statement from Ligado said: “We have reached an agreement in principle with all of the parties, so with Inmarsat, with AST, and with our two ad-hoc creditor groups…” The final judicial hearing will be on May 29th (if uncontested) […]

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 […]