Rendering of five BlueBird satellites from AST SpaceMobile unfolded in space. Photo: AST SpaceMobile

Verizon has formalized a commercial agreement with AST SpaceMobile to provide its direct-to-cell services to Verizon’s customers starting in 2026, AST SpaceMobile announced Wednesday. 

This comes after last year, Verizon became a strategic partner of AST SpaceMobile with a $100 million commitment for satellite direct-to-cell service. Since then, the companies conducted video call trials together. They have also tested two-way RCS messaging, and a voice over LTE call. 

AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan commented that the agreement “will extend the scope of Verizon’s 850 MHz premium low-band spectrum into areas of the U.S. that would benefit from the ubiquitous reach of space-based broadband technology.”

AST SpaceMobile also has commercial agreements with AT&T and Vodafone. The company’s stock jumped nearly 7% on Wednesday with the announcement. 

“This partnership with AST SpaceMobile is a good step forward in our mission to build a seamlessly connected world. We are not just filling in the map; we are creating a new paradigm of connectivity that will unlock the full potential of the digital age,” said Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of Technology and Product Development at Verizon. “By integrating our expansive, reliable, robust terrestrial network with this innovative space-based technology, we are paving the way for a future where everything and everyone can be connected, regardless of geography.”

Verizon already operates in the direct-to-cell market, offering messaging on certain Android devices through a partnership with Skylo. Earlier this year, Verizon made a splash promoting the service with an ad campaign featuring astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

AST SpaceMobile is preparing to start launching its Block 2 BlueBird satellites, with Avellan telling investors in August that it expects “at least five” launches by end of the first quarter of 2026. 

The direct-to-device market has been heating up in recent months with SpaceX’s purchase of EchoStar’s S-band and MSS spectrum licenses. AST SpaceMobile also made a recent purchase of L-band mobile satellite spectrum (MSS) spectrum rights from Ligado. Both of these purchases give SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile their own spectrum to provide service versus fully relying on sharing MNO spectrum. 

Last month at World Space Business Week, AST SpaceMobile President and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski, said that SpaceX’s spectrum purchase proves the value of the company’s own spectrum purchase and the company’s belief that “MSS together with cellular is a fantastic way to go,” adding that the company embraces the risk/reward profile of the D2D sector. 

“Everything we have thought has come to bear. The big satellite strategy is right. The cellular partner strategy is right; the cellular-plus MSS frequency strategy is right,” Wisniewski said. “We love the risk. We think this is going to be a big market.”