AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today commends the announcement by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to form a joint venture to extend mobile connectivity for wireless customers by using satellite-based, direct-to-service technologies.

The proposed collaboration by the three largest U.S. mobile network operators is expected to accelerate the technical integration, enhance customer experience, enhance coverage and help eliminate dead zones across the United States in partnership with the entire wireless industry.

“AST SpaceMobile is happy to see how the industry is preparing to enable space-based cellular broadband connectivity to every American,” commented Abel Avellan, AST SpaceMobile’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We plan to be a key enabler of this transformation as we continue to grow our global network in low Earth orbit and expand available spectrum to our network.”

Featuring the largest-ever phased arrays deployed in low Earth orbit, AST SpaceMobile’s cellular broadband network can connect directly to everyday smartphones, eliminating the need for specialized equipment. The company has demonstrated peak data speeds of nearly 100 Mbps from space to standard mobile devices, with its in-orbit next-generation satellites expected to nearly double that performance, to enable true broadband connectivity for consumers, enterprises, first responders, and governments worldwide.

AST SpaceMobile’s network is designed to operate across approximately 1,150 MHz of mobile network operator partners’ low-and mid-band tunable spectrum, the company’s own licensed L-band spectrum and S-band priority rights, globally. AST SpaceMobile is 95% vertically integrated, with all major manufacturing processes under U.S. control in Texas. The company operates over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities.

Source:BusinessWire