AST SpaceMobile is a publicly traded satellite designer and manufacturer headquartered in Midland, Texas, focused on building a space-based cellular broadband network. Their SpaceMobile network aims to connect directly to standard, unmodified smartphones via their constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, like the BlueBird series. AST SpaceMobile partners with mobile network operators like AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone to expand cellular coverage and provide connectivity in underserved areas, also securing contracts with the U.S. government for secure and reliable connectivity.
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AST SpaceMobile incurred $32,700,000 in operating expenses in the three months ending 2022-03-31.
AST SpaceMobile expects to have deployed 110 satellites by the end of 2024 to achieve substantial global mobile coverage.
AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global are developing satellite businesses to provide connectivity to smartphones and consumer devices.
Startups Lynk and AST SpaceMobile are developing satellite constellations that aim to provide connectivity directly to unmodified phones.
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) received an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission to support U.S.-based testing of the BlueWalker 3 satellite.
AST SpaceMobile had previously planned to launch BlueWalker 3 in 2021 and 20 BlueBird satellites by the end of 2022 to begin commercial services in 2023.
The SpaceX agreement provides a framework through the end of 2024 for ordering additional SpaceX launches and permits AST SpaceMobile to delay launches after paying a rebooking fee.
AST SpaceMobile has secured market access licenses to provide commercial services in Nigeria and five other countries across Africa and Asia covering a population of about 360 million.
AST SpaceMobile plans to use about five minutes of daily coverage from BlueWalker 3 in most areas to configure its software and other systems related to the network core.
AST SpaceMobile expects to have deployed 110 satellites by the end of 2024 to achieve substantial global mobile coverage.
BlueWalker 3 is a smaller version of AST SpaceMobile’s planned operational BlueBird satellites, which AST SpaceMobile is building in-house.
AST SpaceMobile plans to launch another 58 satellites in 2025 to enable Multiple-Input Multiple-Output capabilities and improve services.
AST SpaceMobile indicated it may seek to generate limited SpaceMobile Service revenue in certain countries after launching and deploying BlueBird satellites during 2023, dependent on mobile operator partnerships, regulatory approvals, and other conditions.
AST SpaceMobile secured an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission on 2022-05-02 to test services in the United States from the BlueWalker 3 prototype satellite.
Globe Telecom signed a deal with AST SpaceMobile on 2022-04-28 to explore using services for its 86 million wireless subscribers.
AST SpaceMobile planned to provide initial services with 20 satellites serving the equatorial region comprising 49 countries and 1.6 billion people.
BlueWalker 1, AST SpaceMobile’s first in-house test satellite, was launched in April 2019 to validate the company’s satellite-to-cellular architecture using the 0.004 kg-LTE protocol.
AST SpaceMobile signed a launch contract with SpaceX on 2022-03-08 that includes a milestone payment for its first operational BlueBird satellite slated to launch in 2023 and a reservation for an additional BlueBird mission.
AST SpaceMobile has regulatory permission for BlueWalker 3 to use cellular frequencies to connect to phones in the U.S. and to use Q- and V-band spectrum to direct traffic back to ground gateways under certain restrictions.
AST SpaceMobile expects to be able to provide other commercial services in the equatorial region with only 20 satellites covering 49 countries and 1.6 billion people.