AST SpaceMobile has revealed that a project it has been working on with leading US comms provider Verizon has been given a regulatory green light by the Federal Communications Commission (FSS) to test satellite to smartphone voice, full data and video applications across the US, covering locations traditionally struggling for mobile connectivity.
In April 2023, AST SpaceMobile and its partners completed what was claimed at the time to be the first-ever space-based voice call to an unmodified phone, followed by another landmark with the initial 4G download above 10 Mbps in June 2023, and then the first-ever 5G voice call in September 2023. Ultimately, the firm and its partners demonstrated over 20 Mbps download speeds to unmodified phones on a 5 MHz channel.
In May 2024, Verizon announced a strategic partnership with AST SpaceMobile, with a commitment of $100m to target 100% coverage of the continental US on premium 850 MHz spectrum, with two major US mobile operators to provide direct-to-cellular connectivity.
The $100m commitment includes $65m of commercial prepayments, $45m of which are subject to certain conditions, and $35m of convertible notes. Commenting at the time on what he believed the partnership could mean, AST SpaceMobile founder, chairman and CEO Abel Avellan said the collaboration could enhance cellular connectivity in the US, and essentially eliminate dead zones and empower remote areas of the country with space-based connectivity.
The FCC has granted AST Special Temporary Authority (STA) authorising beta service in the US, enabling AST SpaceMobile’s first five commercial BlueBird satellites, currently operating in low Earth orbit to test satellite connections with Verizon smartphones. This will support voice, full data and video applications, and other native cellular capabilities, without the need of any specialised software, device support or update.
To date, Verizon uses nearly 300 satellite-based portable network assets to ensure connectivity where fibre cables are unavailable or compromised. These assets provide temporary network access for first responders and in areas with limited permanent infrastructure, or for linking cell sites to the broader network when fibre cables are compromised due to power outages or physical damage.
Satellite connections also see use as backhaul for Verizon cell sites in remote areas (like forests and mountain tops) where traditional wired connections like fibre are not yet available.
Compared with laying fibre, the operator said satellite connections can be set up quickly, particularly in areas with significant geographical or logistical barriers, regarding this as a useful service while fibre optics is being planned and deployed. This, it said, allows cell sites to be operational and provide service while waiting for the installation of a more robust and high-capacity connection.
A week ago, in what it called an historic first, AST and comms provider Vodafone Group revealed they had completed the first-ever space-based video call using 4G/5G smartphones, over a satellite built to offer a full mobile broadband experience from an area in Wales with no terrestrial mobile coverage.
