AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by smartphones, commercial and government applications, and Vodafone Group Plc (LSE: VOD), a European and African telecommunications company, announced a long-term commercial agreement through 2034. This is a collaborative step forward to expand broadband connectivity globally.
This agreement establishes the framework for Vodafone to offer space-based cellular broadband connectivity in its home markets, as well as to other operators via its Partner Markets program.
Since 2018, Vodafone, a major telecommunications company, has been a three-time investor in AST SpaceMobile, and is a key technology partner in AST SpaceMobile’s development, including several firsts in direct-to-device connectivity with smartphones that confirmed 2G, 4G and 5G capabilities.
In April 2023, AST SpaceMobile and its partners completed the first space-based voice call to an unmodified phone followed in June 2023, by the first 4G download speed above 10 Mbps, and the first 5G voice call in September 2023. Ultimately, the company and its partners have demonstrated over 20 mbps download speeds to unmodified phones on a 5 Mhz channel.
Vodafone has placed an order for its first Block 1 BlueBird gateway, marking a milestone in the deployment of AST SpaceMobile’s global network infrastructure. Users outside traditional cellular coverage will be able to connect their smartphones directly to AST SpaceMobile’s satellites in low Earth orbit, which in turn will route the data to the gateway. These gateways will then connect to Vodafone’s existing network infrastructure to route the broadband data to users’ devices, as well as to access third-party apps and the internet.
The next-generation Block 2 BlueBirds featuring up to 2,400 square foot communications arrays, are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird satellites currently in orbit, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps, supporting voice, full data, and video applications.
During 2024, AST SpaceMobile has secured additional strategic investments from AT&T, Verizon, Google and Vodafone, and new contract awards with the United States Government, directly and through prime contractors. The company has agreements with more than 45 mobile network operators globally, that have over approximately 2.8 billion existing subscribers total, including Vodafone Group, AT&T, Verizon, Rakuten Mobile, Bell Canada, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, Saudi Telecom Company, Zain KSA, Etisalat, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Telkomsel, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Millicom, Smartfren, Telecom Argentina, MTN, Telstra, Africell, Liberty Latin America and others. AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Google, Rakuten, American Tower, Cisneros Group and Bell Canada are also existing investors in AST SpaceMobile.
