FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Commercial Authority to Deliver Direct-to-Device Cellular Broadband from Space
The approval advances nationwide, resilient cellular broadband connectivity in the United States, per AST SpaceMobile.
(Midland, Texas) AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) announced today (Apr. 22) that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted its application to modify its authorization to launch and operate its SpaceMobile non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Image courtesy of AST SpaceMobile.
Specifically, the authorization enables AST SpaceMobile to deploy and operate an NGSO constellation of up to 248 satellites to deliver Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) directly to unmodified mobile devices across the United States, using premium low-band spectrum – 700 MHz and 800 MHz – which offers superior penetration and coverage characteristics, in coordination with its mobile network operators strategic partners Verizon, AT&T, and FirstNet, according to today’s press release from AST SpaceMobile.
The approval advances nationwide, resilient cellular broadband connectivity in the United States, according to AST SpaceMobile.
“Today marks an important step as we continue scaling our network and moving closer to commercial service,” said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “We are accelerating deployment of our constellation, advancing integration with leading mobile network operators, and preparing to deliver seamless, space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, bringing us closer to connecting people everywhere.”
