AST SpaceMobile lands key Verizon deal amid growing competition with SpaceX and T-Mobile | TechCrunch

"AST SpaceMobile has inked a new deal with Verizon to bring space-based cellular broadband across the United States, marking its most significant partnership to date and its latest move to capture a larger share of the emerging space-to-cellular market. Under the agreement, Verizon will integrate AST's satellite network with its terrestrial infrastructure, using Verizon's 850 MHz spectrum to extend coverage in remote areas where towers can't reach."

"As of now, the company has successfully placed its first five BlueBird satellites into low Earth orbit, an initial "Block 1" that are intended to deliver "intermittent" coverage across the U.S. Meanwhile, AST is assembling the next generation of satellites - "Block 2" - with plans to deploy between 45-60 satellites by 2026. AST has already demonstrated 4G and 5G connections between its satellites and smartphones, including voice and video calls, testing milestones that the company says have "proven the capabilities" of its network."

"Verizon is the second major carrier to sign with AST, following a 10-year agreement with Vodafone. The partnership also underscores how rapidly the satellite-to-cell market is evolving. SpaceX, through its Starlink network, has already started rolling out its direct-to-cell service with T-Mobile, and recently bolstered its ambitions further by agreeing to acquire $17 billion worth of wireless spectrum from EchoStar. AST shares jumped by more than 15% on Wednesday after the deal was announced."

AST SpaceMobile inked a deal with Verizon to provide space-based cellular broadband by integrating AST's satellite network with Verizon's terrestrial infrastructure and 850 MHz spectrum. Verizon previously committed $100 million to support AST's service rollout. AST launched five BlueBird Block 1 satellites into low Earth orbit to deliver intermittent U.S. coverage and is assembling Block 2 with plans to deploy 45–60 satellites by 2026. AST has demonstrated 4G and 5G voice and video connections between satellites and unmodified smartphones but faces scaling challenges to serve millions of users. The agreement follows a 10-year Vodafone deal and lifted AST shares over 15%.

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