AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard smartphones, without requiring specialized hardware or additional equipment. The company's revolutionary BlueBird and BlueWalker satellites feature the largest-ever commercial communications arrays deployed in low-Earth orbit, designed to connect directly with existing mobile devices using standard 4G/LTE and 5G protocols.

Founded in 2017, AST SpaceMobile has developed proprietary technology enabling ordinary smartphones to achieve broadband connectivity via satellite, addressing the approximately 5 billion mobile subscribers who lack reliable coverage in rural areas, during natural disasters, or while traveling. The company's approach eliminates the need for satellite-specific phones, accessories, or subscription changes, working seamlessly with existing cellular service plans.

BlueWalker 3, launched in 2022, demonstrated the world's largest commercial communications array in space at 693 square feet, successfully completing calls and achieving record-setting 4G/5G speeds directly to unmodified smartphones. The subsequent BlueBird commercial satellites feature even larger arrays and greater capacity. AST SpaceMobile has secured partnership agreements with major mobile network operators including AT&T, Vodafone, Rakuten, and Bell Canada, representing billions of potential subscribers.

The company plans to deploy a constellation of approximately 168 satellites to provide continuous global coverage, eliminating mobile connectivity gaps worldwide. Each satellite will cover areas larger than Texas, dramatically reducing the infrastructure cost per subscriber. AST SpaceMobile's technology addresses critical communication needs for emergency services, disaster response, rural connectivity, and everyday mobile users seeking uninterrupted service.

Headquartered in Midland, Texas, with facilities in the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom, In September 2024, AST SpaceMobile launched its first five BlueBird Block 1 satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 and demonstrated the first commercially viable direct-to-cell calls using unmodified standard smartphones — a milestone that validated the core technology. Commercial service, first targeted for late 2024, had not begun by mid-2026: the company reported test and demonstration calls over its BlueBird satellites and, in its 2025 annual report, targeted commercial launch in early 2027. The company is listed on Nasdaq as ASTS.