AST SpaceMobile chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan, has said that the company is on course to provide 100 percent coverage across North America.
In an open letter to partners and shareholders, Avellan said that it will be able to achieve the target because of its strategic partnerships with US carriers AT&T and Verizon.
Direct-to-cell satellite firm AST SpaceMobile recently agreed to a strategic partnership with Verizon, following an earlier flagship commercial agreement with AT&T.
"With both industry leaders – AT&T and Verizon – on board, AST SpaceMobile is now uniquely positioned to achieve a groundbreaking feat: target 100 percent geographical coverage throughout the continental US the most valuable wireless market in the world," said Avellan.
Avellan added that AT&T and Verizon will share with AST SpaceMobile a portion of their respective bands of 850 MHz low-band spectrum. This will help AST SpaceMobile to enable nationwide satellite coverage.
He notes that the shared spectrum will reduce the amount of dropped calls experienced by users, while also providing wider signal coverage.
Avellan claims that AST SpaceMobile will have the "largest commercial communications satellite ever deployed in Low Earth Orbit."
"The massive antenna array acts as a giant cell tower in space, with a broader and stronger signal that can reach standard smartphones directly, eliminating the need for specialized equipment," he said.
"The power and scale of the satellite array pave the way for a truly global solution. With a constellation of AST SpaceMobile satellites in low Earth orbit, we will be able to provide reliable cellular broadband coverage wherever it is needed. This translates to bridging the digital divide on a massive scale, ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to essential communication services."
AST SpaceMobile has several other partners, including Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, American Tower, Bell Canada, and more than 45 mobile network operators.
Collectively it notes that these partnerships allow it to serve more than 2.8 billion subscribers.
T-Mobile, a rival to the two carriers, has its own direct-to-cell satellite agreement with AST SpaceMobile competitor, SpaceX.
In other recent satellite news:
- Globe Telecom, a carrier from the Philippines has partnered with direct-to-cell satellite firm Lynk Global to launch services in rural parts of the country. A live pilot trial is expected by the end of the year.
- Emirates-based satellite operator Yahsat has this week selected SpaceX to launch two geostationary communications satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5, as part of a $1.1 billion program. SpaceX will launch the Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 in 2027 and 2028, respectively, on Falcon 9 rockets.
