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AST SpaceMobile Announces Launch Services Agreements to Enable Continuous Space-Based Cellular Broadband Service Coverage
November 15, 2024 | BUSINESS WIREEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
AST SpaceMobile, Inc., the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, and designed for both commercial and government applications, announced launch services agreements securing the orbital launch capacity to enable continuous space-based cellular broadband service coverage across some of the most in-demand cellular markets globally. AST SpaceMobile's global service will initially target key markets such as the United States, Europe, Japan, the U.S. Government and other strategic markets. The Cape Canaveral Florida Space Force Station launch campaign, scheduled during 2025 and 2026, will utilize existing launch vehicles and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket for up to ~60 Block 2 satellites to low Earth orbit.
“We have now contractually secured orbital launch capacity during 2025 and 2026 to enable continuous cellular broadband service coverage of the AST SpaceMobile network,” said Scott Wisniewski, President of AST SpaceMobile. “With these new launch services agreements, our in-house vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities in Texas, our mobile operator partners, and the additional capital raised during 2024, we are now well-positioned to reach our goal of continuous cellular broadband service coverage, enabling our service to hundreds of millions of users around the world and the U.S. Government.”
The next-generation Block 2 BlueBirds are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird satellites in orbit today, accelerating the goal to achieve 24/7 continuous cellular broadband service coverage. The service will target approximately 100% U.S. nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells, with beams designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps, supporting voice, full data and video applications. The Block 2 BlueBirds, featuring up to 2,400 square foot communications arrays, will be the largest ever commercially deployed in low Earth orbit once launched, surpassing the current record held by AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 1-5 and BlueWalker 3, each ~700 square feet in size.
The Block 2 BlueBirds are designed to be compatible with all major launch vehicles. Blue Origin’s launch vehicle, the New Glenn, offers a seven-meter fairing enabling twice the payload volume of five-meter class commercial launch systems, and is well-suited to launching up to 8 of the largest-ever Block 2 BlueBirds.
During 2024, AST SpaceMobile has secured additional strategic investment from AT&T, Verizon, Google and Vodafone, and new contract awards with the United States Government, directly and through prime contractors. The company has agreements with more than 45 mobile network operators globally, which have over 2.8 billion existing subscribers total, including Vodafone Group, AT&T, Verizon, Rakuten Mobile, Bell Canada, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, Saudi Telecom Company, Zain KSA, Etisalat, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Telkomsel, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Millicom, Smartfren, Telecom Argentina, MTN, Telstra, Africell, Liberty Latin America and others. AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Google, Rakuten, American Tower, Cisneros Group and Bell Canada are also existing investors in AST SpaceMobile.
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