AST SpaceMobile has received the green light to operate satellite-to-phone services in the US, setting the stage for the company to compete against SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile.
On Tuesday, AST secured approval from the Federal Communications Commission to operate both the entirety of its 248 satellite constellation and offer “supplemental coverage from space” including outside the US.
“This action allows AST to dramatically improve services in the United States and globally,” the FCC said, noting the company can use the satellite technology to deliver connectivity to consumer devices in cellular dead zones.
It’s good news for AST after the company suffered a setback on Sunday when a Blue Origin rocket failed to deliver one of the company’s “BlueBird” satellites into the right orbit, causing it to be lost and apparently burn up back in the atmosphere.
Like Starlink Mobile, AST’s goal is to offer high-speed broadband to smartphones in dead zones, including the ability to make video calls. The company’s satellites have stood out for featuring an extremely large antenna. Each BlueBird promises to operate as an orbiting cell tower capable of delivering voice, data, and video to unmodified smartphones on the ground.
(AST SpaceMobile)
Back in 2024, the FCC merely cleared AST SpaceMobile to operate the company’s first five BlueBird satellites, deferring on the company’s request to offer satellite-to-phone services. Tuesday’s decision paves the way for AST to offer real services to consumers and launch the rest of its proposed satellite constellation at various low-Earth orbits at and around 530 kilometers.
In addition, AST has also been authorized to deliver cellular coverage from space using radio spectrum from two key partners, AT&T and Verizon. However, the grant only covers lower bands from the 698MHz to 960Mhz, rather than the mid-band spectrum that AST acquired last year.
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The FCC is also permitting AST to use the 430 to 440MHz radio band as an emergency way to control and track its satellites, despite objections about interference from the amateur “ham” radio community. That said, the FCC is imposing certain conditions, including that AST can only use the 430.5 MHz, 432.3 MHz, 434.1 MHz, 435.9 MHz, and 439.5 MHz bands, but only for a period under 24 hours for the emergency telemetry and tracking operations.
The FCC determined that “AST has shown that harmful interference from AST’s transmissions to other authorized operations, including to amateur operations, in the 430-440 MHz band is extremely unlikely, and, if such interference should occur, AST is capable of ceasing such transmissions.”
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The Commission also noted: “we have continued to not receive any complaints of harmful interference for AST’s already-authorized operations in the 430-440 MHz band.” The radio bands represent a fall back when the company also has authorization to use 2000MHz bands for satellite tracking and telemetry.
The FCC also issued the approval, even through T-Mobile and SpaceX raised concerns about potential interference and satellite collision risks. The news occurs when the competition to deliver satellite-to-phone services has been heating up. Earlier this month, Amazon announced it’s spending over $11 billion to acquire Apple partner Globalstar to deliver satellite connectivity to smartphones. Meanwhile, SpaceX has been laying the groundwork for huge upgrades to Starlink Mobile, which is currently available over T-Mobile, but with limited bandwidth.
The main challenge facing AST has been launching the required satellites. Currently, the company only has a total of six BlueBird satellites in orbit, along with the company’s original test satellite BlueWalker 3. The company needs between 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 in order to offer robust coverage in the US. But Sunday’s botched deployment of the seventh BlueBird satellite may spark some doubts about whether it can offer a commercial service later this year.
In response to the Blue Origin setback, AST noted it’s already producing BlueBird satellite 32, “with BlueBird 8 to 10 expected to be ready to ship in approximately 30 days” for launch. Still, the company originally envisioned “four more orbital launches by the end of Q1 2026,” but none occurred until Sunday’s Blue Origin launch.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.