Midland-based AST SpaceMobile has announced a pivotal advancement in its efforts to provide global space-based broadband. The company has signed a definitive commercial agreement with Verizon to offer direct-to-cellular service starting in 2026.
According to a news release, this partnership will enable Verizon customers to maintain connectivity across the United States, including remote and rural regions that currently lack reliable coverage. Under the terms of the agreement, AST SpaceMobile will integrate its low Earth orbit satellite network with Verizon’s existing terrestrial infrastructure. This integration aims to expand the reach of Verizon’s 850 MHz premium low-band spectrum, creating seamless connectivity “from hiking trails to city centers” by combining space-based and ground-based technologies to enhance network resilience and accessibility.
The release further notes that AST SpaceMobile is developing what it describes as the first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to everyday smartphones without requiring special equipment. The company’s satellites are equipped with extensive commercial communications arrays deployed in low Earth orbit and are engineered to operate across multiple spectrum bands, including those licensed by mobile network partners.
Avellan said, “Through our definitive commercial agreement with Verizon, we are working to deliver space-based cellular broadband coverage across the continental United States.” He added that this partnership would extend Verizon’s reach into areas that could benefit from the ubiquitous connectivity made possible by space-based broadband technology.