AT&T* and AST SpaceMobile have inked a formal business agreement to provide broadband internet access via space to conventional cell phones. This agreement is in effect for 2030. The companies have previously worked together under a Memorandum of Understanding. This is not just a small move, rather, it’s a huge step toward better connections between businesses and consumers across the country.
AST SpaceMobile intends to transport its first commercial satellites to Cape Canaveral for low-Earth orbit launch this summer. These first five satellites will contribute to the commercial service that has already been proved through a number of significant achievements. In 2023, there will be firsts in the market for voice, text, and video calls made between common cell-phones via space.
Since 2018, the two businesses have followed this route together. AT&T will remain an essential partner in this cutting-edge connectivity solution. Soon, Chris Sambar, the Head of Network at AT&T, will be added to the board of directors of AST SpaceMobile. To help ensure that continental U.S. satellite coverage is feasible, AT&T and AST SpaceMobile will continue to collaborate closely on the development, testing, and debugging of this technology.
According to AT&T Chief Operating Officer Jeff McElfresh, “space-based direct-to-mobile technology is designed to provide customers connectivity by complementing and integrating with our existing mobile network.” “This agreement is the next step in our industry leadership to provide services to consumers and in locations where connectivity was not previously feasible using emerging satellite technologies.”
“Our partnership with AT&T has enabled us to fully realize the potential of satellite-based cellular broadband, which we are excited to reaffirm with this historic contract,” stated Abel Avellan, the founder, chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “We aim to bring seamless, reliable service to consumers and businesses across the continental U.S., transforming the way people connect and access information.”
This is yet another crucial move in AT&T’s plan to offer even more widespread connectivity on the biggest wireless network in the country1. Thanks to the reach of a satellite system offering two-way communication, dead zones outside will often become a thing of the past.
