AST SpaceMobile aims to deploy 45–60 satellites by 2026, enabling continuous broadband service in key global markets
In sum – what to know:
Fully funded expansion plan – AST SpaceMobile aims to deploy 45–60 satellites by 2026, enabling continuous broadband service in key global markets, with launches scheduled every one to two months in 2025–26.
S-Band spectrum acquisition – The company is purchasing 60 MHz of global S-Band spectrum rights for $64.5 million, though some analysts question the spectrum’s strategic value, calling the move “largely worthless.”
Industry partnerships and delays – AST SpaceMobile has agreements with nearly 50 mobile operators covering 2B customers, but has faced repeated launch delays for its first Bluebird satellites and FM1 prototype.
AST SpaceMobile this week reaffirmed that its satellite program is fully funded and on track to deploy between 45 and 60 satellites into orbit by 2026, aiming to deliver continuous cellular-based broadband service across the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other strategic markets. Shares jumped more than 10% following the announcement.
“We are confirming our fully-funded plan to deploy 45 to 60 satellites into orbit by 2026 to support continuous service in the US, Europe, Japan, and other strategic markets, including the U.S. Government,” CEO Abel Avellan said in a press statement. The company currently has six satellites in orbit and plans orbital launches “every one to two months on average during 2025 and 2026” to meet its target.
Avellan added: “Following our recent announcement on L/S-Band spectrum access, we now have a path for premium spectrum on a global basis, which is uniquely valuable with our innovative technology backed by over 3,700 patents and patent-pending claims to support up to 120 Mbps peak data rates per cell globally.”
Last week, AST SpaceMobile announced plans to acquire 60 megahertz of global S-Band spectrum priority rights for $64.5 million. The company did not name the seller in its press release, but a Securities and Exchange Commission filing shows the rights are coming from CCUR Holdings, Inc. and EllioSat Ltd.
Not all industry watchers are convinced of the spectrum’s value. “I don’t think that the S-Band spectrum is anything more than a distraction at this point in time,” Tim Farrar, president of consulting and research firm Telecom, Media and Finance (TMF) Associates, told Light Reading, calling the filings “largely worthless.”
AST SpaceMobile says it already has agreements with nearly 50 mobile network operators — including AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone — covering roughly 2 billion customers, and that its direct-to-cellular technology could ultimately reach 5.5 billion devices in use today.
However, the company continues to face launch delays. Its first five Bluebird satellites, originally expected before the end of 2023, were pushed to early 2024 and then delayed again. Its FM1 prototype, slated for launch in July and later August, has also been postponed. Avellan said the FM1 will be ready to ship this month.
As of June 30, 2025, AST SpaceMobile reported more than $1.5 billion in balance sheet cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, pro forma for its recent financing activities. The company raised $575 million in gross proceeds and secured $100 million in equipment financing.
