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

The FCC has granted AST SpaceMobile commercial authorization to provide direct-to-device services using spectrum from its partner mobile network operators (MNOs). 

The FCC released an order on April 21 approving AST SpaceMobile to deploy a constellation of 248 satellites and provide what the FCC calls supplemental coverage from space (SCS). SCS is the term for when satellites communicate directly with unmodified cell phones using MNO spectrum, to “supplement” the reach of the MNO’s network. 

As approved by the order, AST SpaceMobile will be able to provide D2D services using low-band spectrum from 700 MHz and 800 MHz in the U.S. through coordination with Verizon, AT&T, and FirstNet. The company has commercial agreements with both Verizon and AT&T. 

The FCC set a deadline that AST SpaceMobile must launch half of its satellites — 124 satellites — by Aug. 2, 2030, and the full constellation by Aug. 2, 2033. 

This approval was a long-awaited milestone for AST SpaceMobile. The company previously had an experimental license, approval for non-terrestrial bands, and then special temporal authority for testing in the U.S. 

“Today marks an important step as we continue scaling our network and moving closer to commercial service,” said Abel Avellan, founder, chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “We are accelerating deployment of our constellation, advancing integration with leading mobile network operators, and preparing to deliver seamless, space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, bringing us closer to connecting people everywhere.”

The FCC established the regulatory framework for SCS services in 2024, and SpaceX was the first to receive approval under the framework for its service with T-Mobile. 

Earlier this week, AST SpaceMobile suffered a setback as it works to deploy its next-generation BlueBird satellites when a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket failed to deliver the satellite to the correct orbit. The mission delivered the satellite to too low of an altitude, and it will be deorbited. AST SpaceMobile said it expects to recover the costs in an insurance claim. 

The company’s stated plan is targeting 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026, with a launch “every one to two months on average” as it builds a network to provide broadband connectivity from space. The first upgraded BlueBird launched in December, and the one lost this week was only the second to be launched.