AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile builds and operates a low Earth orbit satellite constellation that delivers 4G/5G broadband directly to standard unmodified smartphones, partnering with 50+ mobile network operators globally.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMidland, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AST SpaceMobile does
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTS) is building the first space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard, unmodified 4G/5G smartphones. Founded in 2017 by Abel Avellan in Midland, Texas, and publicly listed via SPAC merger in April 2021, the company operates a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites featuring large active phased-array antennas that interoperate with mobile network operator (MNO) core networks through proprietary ground gateways. The first five commercial satellites (BlueBird 1-5, with 693 sq ft arrays) launched in September 2024, followed by next-generation BlueBird 6, 8, 9, and 10 (each with ~2,400 sq ft arrays) through June 2026, with BlueBird 7 lost due to a launch vehicle anomaly. The proprietary AST5000 ASIC delivers up to 10 GHz of processing bandwidth per satellite, and the service is aligned with 3GPP Release-19 Non-Terrestrial Network standards, combining AST's own S-band spectrum with licensed spectrum from operator partners. The company holds FCC commercial authorization for direct-to-device services using 700/800 MHz spectrum and has secured definitive commercial agreements with AT&T (through 2030), Verizon, Vodafone (through 2034), Rakuten, Bell Canada, and stc group, supporting more than $1.2 billion in minimum contractual commitments.
AST SpaceMobile firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AST SpaceMobile
- Legal name
- AST SpaceMobile, Inc.
- Website
- https://ast-science.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- AST SpaceMobile builds and operates a low Earth orbit satellite constellation that delivers 4G/5G broadband directly to standard unmodified smartphones, partnering with 50+ mobile network operators globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AST SpaceMobile industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Satellite Telecommunications
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (5174)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Broadband Internet Access (Consumer/SMB) (HDAIAJAA)
Keywords
Where AST SpaceMobile is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Midland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AST SpaceMobile business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- MNO Wholesale Connectivity Revenue: Long-term wholesale capacity and service revenue from definitive commercial agreements with mobile network operators (e.g., AT&T through 2030, Vodafone through 2034, Verizon, Bell Canada, Rakuten, stc 10-year agreement). Over $1.2 billion in minimum contractual commitments supports management's target of ~$1 billion in recurring revenue by FY2027.
- Government & Defense Contracts: Direct US Government and allied defense contracts for tactical NTN communications. Management indicates US government contracts could reach $500 million in 2027, with work spanning 10 different use cases for the Space Development Agency and other agencies. Initial $30 million prime contract from the US Space Development Agency.
- Hardware / Gateway Sales & Milestone Revenue: Revenue from gateway hardware deliveries to MNO partners and milestone-based payments tied to technology demonstration achievements (e.g., first voice call, first 5G call, first VoLTE call). Q1 2026 revenue of $14.7 million was largely driven by gateway deliveries and milestone achievements.
- Branded Merchandise: Online AST SpaceMobile Store operated by Spreadshop/Spreadshirt sells company-branded merchandise via a third-party storefront. Materiality is de minimis relative to core business.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass - on-demand satellite connectivity for a single day |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Add-On - satellite coverage bundled to an existing plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standalone Plan - primary satellite connectivity for remote areas |
Go-to-market motion1 record
AST SpaceMobile product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard, unmodified 4G/5G smartphones. The company designs, manufactures, and operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites with large phased-array antennas, and sells wholesale cellular capacity to mobile network operators (MNOs) and government/defense customers under multi-year commercial agreements.
Product overview
AST SpaceMobile offers a unified space-based cellular broadband platform — the SpaceMobile Network — composed of a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites (the prototype BlueWalker 3, first-generation BlueBird 1-5, and next-generation BlueBird satellites up through BlueBird 37) interoperating with mobile network operator terrestrial infrastructure via proprietary ground gateways. The core satellite platform is powered by AST SpaceMobile's custom AST5000 ASIC chip, which delivers 3GPP Release-19-compliant direct-to-device broadband across 700 MHz/800 MHz/L-band/S-band spectrum to standard unmodified smartphones. Regional service is delivered through dedicated joint ventures: SatCo with Vodafone for Europe and the Rakuten-AST SpaceMobile joint venture for Japan. Consumer access is structured via three partner-distributed service plans (Day Pass, Monthly Add-On, Standalone).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SatCo: Joint venture with Vodafone providing direct-to-cell satellite broadband for European mobile network operators, with Satellite Operations Centre in Germany.
- SpaceMobile Network
Products and services
- SpaceMobile Network
- BlueWalker 3
- BlueBird 1–5
- Next-Generation BlueBird
- SatCo (Vodafone Joint Venture)
- Rakuten–AST SpaceMobile Japan Joint Venture
Companies that use AST SpaceMobile
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
AST SpaceMobile technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature6 records
AST SpaceMobile partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
AST SpaceMobile competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Amazon (Project Kuiper): Amazon's Project Kuiper is a planned LEO broadband constellation positioned to serve consumer, enterprise, and government markets with Amazon's distribution and cloud integration. It represents an emerging competitor that could enter the D2D-adjacent space leveraging AWS and consumer device relationships.
- Lynk Global: Lynk Global is an emerging D2D satellite operator that has demonstrated two-way SMS and voice to standard phones from LEO satellites and is signing MNO partnerships. It is a smaller emerging peer targeting the same direct-to-handset use case as AST SpaceMobile.
- Skylo Technologies: Skylo is a non-terrestrial network service provider that leverages partner satellite constellations to deliver narrowband IoT and messaging to standard devices. It is comparable as an emerging NTN services player operating in adjacent spectrum and use cases, and as a potential partner or competitor to AST's network.
Direct peers
- Globalstar: Globalstar provides satellite connectivity for Apple's iPhone Emergency SOS and is investing in a next-generation C-band constellation. It is a direct D2D peer serving the same unmodified-smartphone use case via wholesale spectrum arrangements with handset makers and carriers.
- SpaceX (Starlink Direct-to-Cell): SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell service, partnered with T-Mobile, is the most direct competitor in space-based cellular broadband for unmodified smartphones. Both target MNOs globally and compete on coverage, capacity, and price — Starlink with a much larger operational constellation and reusable launch cadence.
Broad incumbents
- Viasat: Viasat is a major satellite broadband operator with geostationary and planned LEO capacity, serving commercial aviation, government, and consumer broadband. Its planned ViaSat-3 and LEO architectures overlap with AST in the broadband-from-space and government/defense markets.
- Telesat: Telesat is building the Lightspeed LEO broadband constellation targeting enterprise, government, and MNO backhaul/extension use cases. It is comparable in serving the same global broadband-from-space market and partnering with telcos, though its go-to-market emphasizes B2B connectivity rather than D2C handsets.
- EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems): EchoStar, through Hughes, operates geostationary satellite broadband and holds spectrum and D2D initiatives. It is a broad incumbent in satellite connectivity with overlapping MNO and enterprise customer relationships, and a relevant benchmark for spectrum-anchored D2D strategies.
- Iridium Communications: Iridium operates a global L-band satellite constellation providing voice and data services, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon Satellite partnership (later wound down). It is a broad incumbent in satellite-based mobile connectivity with overlapping end markets in defense, maritime, and remote enterprise.
- Eutelsat Group (OneWeb): Eutelsat's OneWeb LEO constellation delivers global broadband to enterprise, government, and cellular backhaul customers. It overlaps with AST on space-based broadband and on partnering with MNOs to extend coverage, though OneWeb's primary D2D pathway relies on partner spectrum rather than direct-to-handset broadband.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AST SpaceMobile social profiles
Digital presenceAST SpaceMobile compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
AST SpaceMobile financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AST SpaceMobile leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
AST SpaceMobile subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AST SpaceMobile funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds17 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AST SpaceMobile M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AST SpaceMobile
What does AST SpaceMobile do?
AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard, unmodified 4G/5G smartphones. The company designs, manufactures, and operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites with large phased-array antennas, and sells wholesale cellular capacity to mobile network operators (MNOs) and government/defense customers under multi-year commercial agreements.
Is AST SpaceMobile a public or private company?
AST SpaceMobile is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was AST SpaceMobile founded?
AST SpaceMobile was founded in 2017. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is AST SpaceMobile based?
AST SpaceMobile is headquartered in Midland, United States, in the North America region.
How does AST SpaceMobile make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. MNO Wholesale Connectivity Revenue is the primary driver. The others are government & Defense Contracts, hardware / Gateway Sales & Milestone Revenue and branded Merchandise.
Who are AST SpaceMobile's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Amazon (Project Kuiper), Lynk Global and Skylo Technologies. Direct peers are Globalstar and SpaceX (Starlink Direct-to-Cell). Broad incumbents are Viasat, Telesat, EchoStar (Hughes Network Systems), Iridium Communications and Eutelsat Group (OneWeb).
Does AST SpaceMobile have an API?
No public API is recorded for AST SpaceMobile.
What industry is AST SpaceMobile in?
AST SpaceMobile's product category is Satellite Telecommunications. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAA, Satellite Broadband Internet Access (Consumer/SMB). Its NAICS code is 5174 and its SIC code is 3760.