The Federal Communications Commission has granted permission for AT&T and ASTSpaceMobile to test direct-to-cellular capabilities using FirstNet and 800 MHz spectrum in Texas and Hawaii.
According to a filing with the FCC, ASTSpaceMobile and AT&T are planning to test uplink connections from up to 20 commercial, off-the-shelf cellular GSM handsets to AST’s BlueWalker 3 LEO satellite, using 10-megahertz chunks of AT&T’s terrestrial spectrum.
The spectrum being used will be the FirstNet spectrum from 788-798 MHz that AT&T has access to, in both the area of Hana, Hawaii and around Midland, Texas; plus AT&T’s 835-845 MHz in Texas and 825-835 MHz spectrum in Hawaii.
AST also has permission through May of 2025 from AT&T to test using higher-frequency spectrum at 37.6-40 GHz.
According to AST SpaceMobile, the testing will allow it “continue refining its [Supplemental Coverage from Space/SCS] Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology ahead of its planned commercial launch.
“As the Commission has recognized, D2D technology has the potential to close coverage gaps in hard-to-reach areas and support first responders in emergency and disaster response nationwide,” the satellite company noted. “AST SpaceMobile is actively working to help achieve these goals by optimizing the BW3 to inform the eventual commencement of its D2D services.” ASTSpaceMobile also requested that some aspects of its experiments and the justification for them would be kept confidential by the FCC, due to the competitive nature of the market that it expects to serve.
In January, ASTSpaceMobile announced that it had gained aggregate new financing of up to $206.5 million from the investments of AT&T, Google and new capital from Vodafone, and that it planned to draw on an additional sum up to $51.5 million from a credit line. The investments encompassed $20 million in revenue commitments from AT&T that are predicated on the successful launch and operation of AST SpaceMobile’s first five commercial satellites, and a minimum $25 million in revenue commitments from Vodafone. Both carriers placed purchase orders in undisclosed amounts for AST SpaceMobile network equipment that will support planned commercial services, the satellite company said in a release.
The Special Temporary Authority (STA) permission extends through October 4 of this year. AST SpaceMobile announced a number of successful tests with carrier partners in the past year, including with AT&T.