AST SpaceMobile targets beta D2D service with next BlueBird launch

AST SpaceMobile is preparing to launch another three BlueBird satellites as it builds out its low Earth orbit network for direct-to-device cellular broadband.

BlueBird 11, 12, and 13 are scheduled to launch on August 5, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission follows the June launch of BlueBird 8, 9, and 10.

AST is targeting beta services later this year, although its initial US service with AT&T and Verizon will provide non-continuous coverage as the company continues to add satellites to the constellation.

The network is designed to connect directly to standard smartphones without requiring specialised satellite handsets or additional user hardware. AST plans to support voice, data, and video services using spectrum supplied through mobile network operators, alongside satellite spectrum available to the company.

Building out the constellation

BlueBird 14, 15, and 16 are already being prepared for a subsequent mission, while production has progressed through BlueBird 42. In May, AST said BlueBird 11 through 33 were in advanced stages of production and assembly, with phased arrays completed through BlueBird 28.

AST is using a stackable satellite architecture that allows several spacecraft to be carried on the same mission. The satellites use lightweight carbon composite structures and large phased-array antennas designed to communicate directly with mobile devices from orbit.

According to AST, the latest BlueBird generation is expected to provide close to twice the peak download speed of its initial Block 1 satellites. The company recently reported a peak downlink speed of 98.9 Mbps to a standard smartphone during testing with its earlier satellites.

The company has set different satellite thresholds for its planned service levels. AST has said around 25 BlueBird satellites would support non-continuous service in selected markets, while approximately 45 to 60 are intended to provide continuous service across key markets including the US, Europe, and Japan.

Around 90 satellites are planned for continuous service across all of AST’s targeted markets. The company describes continuous service as close to 100% reliable persistent service across specified geographic areas within certain latitudes, with a high degree of persistent service elsewhere.

Its initial US beta with AT&T and Verizon is targeting non-continuous nationwide coverage using low-band spectrum.

“This orbital launch, combined with expanded manufacturing capacity and the recent successful launch and deployment of BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10, position us for beta services later this year,” AST SpaceMobile President Scott Wisniewski said.

AST had previously targeted approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. In July, it revised that target to early 2027 based on expected launch availability.

The company has said the timing of individual launches also depends on satellite assembly and testing, regulatory approvals, launch-vehicle readiness, and logistics.

Connecting with mobile networks

Commercial service also requires AST to connect its satellite infrastructure with terrestrial mobile networks. In May, the company said ground-network integration was underway across markets including the US, Canada, the UK, India, Brazil, Germany, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and several African countries.

The markets involved have a combined population of about 2.9 billion, according to figures cited by AST. The company has also deployed fixed cells across the continental US for integration work with mobile operators and device partners, including testing spectrum quality and service automation.

AST has agreements with close to 60 mobile network operators representing more than 3 billion subscribers. Its partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Bell, Telus, and stc Group.

AT&T said in December that it had brought four AST satellite ground gateways online in the US. The gateways carry traffic between BlueBird satellites and AT&T’s terrestrial mobile network.

Vodafone is deploying similar infrastructure in Europe. The operator has described AST’s satellites as functioning as remote radio heads, while core network functions remain with the terrestrial MNO.

Its European venture with AST is also developing ground stations to connect participating mobile networks to the satellite constellation. Vodafone has said standard phones using the service are intended to switch automatically between terrestrial and satellite networks without requiring specialised equipment.

AST says its operator partners will determine retail pricing by market, with possible options including day passes, monthly add-ons, and emergency use. The company also lists standalone plans for areas where terrestrial coverage is unreliable, with services provided through its operator partners.

Spectrum access is another part of the operator relationships. AST’s network is designed to use low- and mid-band cellular frequencies controlled by its MNO partners, allowing compatible smartphones to connect through spectrum also used for terrestrial mobile services.

AST said in May that its architecture can tune across more than 1,150 MHz of low- and mid-band MNO spectrum globally. The company also has access to satellite spectrum, including lower mid-band frequencies in the US and Canada under separate arrangements.

AST says its technology is built on 3GPP standards for non-terrestrial networks. Its spectrum strategy combines licensed satellite spectrum, including S-band and access to L-band, with frequencies supplied by its mobile operator partners, while the service is designed to work with existing smartphones.

AST is also competing in the direct-to-device market with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite-to-mobile service. SpaceX says its constellation currently includes around 650 satellite-to-mobile spacecraft in low Earth orbit and works with operators including T-Mobile, Optus, Telstra, Rogers, KDDI, One NZ, and Globe.

Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellites use an onboard eNodeB modem that SpaceX describes as functioning like a cellular base station in space. The company says the system works with existing LTE phones without requiring hardware or firmware changes or dedicated applications.

AST uses larger phased-array satellites and says approximately 45 to 60 BlueBirds are intended to provide continuous coverage across selected key markets, with around 90 planned for continuous service across all targeted markets.

BlueBird 11, 12, and 13 are the next satellites in AST’s deployment sequence, followed by BlueBird 14, 15, and 16. The company is targeting approximately 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027.

(Photo by SpaceX)

See also: AT&T says satellite D2D will complement mobile networks

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