Google and AT&T Invest In AST SpaceMobile For Satellite-To-Smartphone Service

AT&T, Google and Vodafone are investing a total of $206.5 million in AST SpaceMobile, a satellite manufacturer that plans to be the first space-based network to connect standard mobile phones at broadband speeds. Fierce Wireless reports: AST SpaceMobile claims it invented the space-based direct-to-device market, with a patented design facilitating broadband connectivity directly to standard, unmodified cellular devices. In a press release, AST SpaceMobile said the investment from the likes of AT&T, Google and Vodafone underscores confidence in the company's technology and leadership position in the emerging space-based cellular D2D market. There's the potential to offer connectivity to 5.5 billion cellular devices when they're out of coverage.

Bolstering the case for AST SpaceMobile, Vodafone and AT&T placed purchase orders -- for an undisclosed amount -- for network equipment to support their planned commercial services. In addition, Google and AST SpaceMobile agreed to collaborate on product development, testing and implementation plans for SpaceMobile network connectivity on Android and related devices. AST SpaceMobile boasts agreements and understandings with more than 40 mobile network operators globally. However, it's far from alone in the D2D space. Apple/Globalstar, T-Mobile/SpaceX, Bullitt and Lynk Global are among the others.

Yet more satelittes

[xack]

Can't we agree on a unified network just this once, controlled for the greater good of society? Instead of littering space with redundant satellites.

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[airport76]

Too late for that. The only way something like this is possible is if an "entity" in charge of managing "public affairs" (AKA "the government") does it. But the people at the government rarely have this kind of hindsight. And it would have lots of downsides: ineficient slow development, high costs, obsolescence...

But despair not. *All* those satellites are in very low orbits, that will decay in a few years. If really critical, they will eventually be replaced, possibly by a public provider, once the techn

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[Applehu Akbar]

Can't we agree on a unified network just this once, controlled for the greater good of society? Instead of littering space with redundant satellites.

At least we're littering LEO. The satellites will fall eventually, and any redundant ones won't be replacedO

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[noshellswill]

American culture is so fractured ... both in principles and actions ... that no "greater good of society" exists. From crypto to clean-water what's good for 1/2 is bad for the other 1/2 .  Until the 1960s America had the chance and means to unify. We blew it worse than the Civil War. 

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[texas neuron]

I would say no. If you reduce competition, you will ultimately have higher prices. The more groups competing, the cheaper the prices. If you stopped here - you would have to declare SpaceX the winner with no one else allowed to compete? If there are too many system launched than can be sustained, then groups will go bankrupt. Someone will either buy them on the cheap and make them competitive or not. Better to implement rules behind the ability for all satellites to deorbit in a certain length of time

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[narcc]

He's not advocating for a private monopoly.

If you reduce competition, you will ultimately have higher prices.

Public services don't seem to have that problem. Remember that profits are just money not spent on delivering services.

Plan to be the first?

[jfdavis668]

Didn't Starlink already start deploying this?

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[Megane]

RTFS: "broadband speeds". But do we really need full broadband speeds in the middle of nowhere that's too remote for cellular towers?

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[timeOday]

And even if you do want to watch netflix in your cabin in Alaska, Starlink already provides that. So this new service seems to fill an rather small niche - you have to be willing to pay for broadband to a standard cellphone without infrastructure.

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[Narcocide]

Keep in mind that Starlink initially advertised (still advertises?) broadband speeds too, despite the reality proving to be that they can't actually deliver them. This endeavor will most likely pan out the same way.

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[Mirnotoriety]

> Starlink initially advertised .. broadband speeds .. despite .. they can't actually deliver

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service is seeing rapid speed gains and increased adoption [tomsguide.com]

Starlink Speedtests [starlinktrack.com]

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[Narcocide]

Meanwhile, in reality... [slashdot.org]

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[Miamicanes]

My prediction about T-mobile's pricing for its upcoming satellite texting:

* Absolutely no requirement that the user sign up in advance or preemptively pay some monthly extra fee for the ability to use the service (though there might be some incentives to do so, which I'll mention in a moment). You'll need a special app to send and receive messages via satellite on a compatible phone, but it'll be one of the carrier apps that get installed by default unless you bend over backwards to decline/remove it.

* Send

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[timeOday]

I hope you're right. As a current T-Mobile customer, having the ability to send emergency texts outside cell tower coverage would be a big incentive for me to stick with them.

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[dgatwood]

RTFS: "broadband speeds". But do we really need full broadband speeds in the middle of nowhere that's too remote for cellular towers?

Yes, we really do. If you've ever tried up upload your vacation photos while at the Grand Canyon, you would understand why. It's not just remote places. It's also places that, for whatever ecological or topographical reason, can't be easily served, and many of those areas have a lot of people. :-)

Clear sky or will it work indoors?

[bobm]

I've been searching but I'm not finding anything that says whether or not you have to pointing to clear sky and not moving or if they have some antenna magic that will let you walk around and be indoors.

Anybody know?

AST first space-based mobile network ?

[Mirnotoriety]

Starlink direct to Cell [starlink.com]: “On Monday, January 8, the Starlink team successfully sent and received our first text messages using T-Mobile network spectrum through one of our new Direct to Cell satellites launched six days prior.”