AST SpaceMobile targets September satellite launch

Construction is now complete and they are being readied for shipping off to Cape Canaveral, Florida during the first week of August.

SpaceMobile has pencilled in a seven-day launch window for sometime during September. It can't offer a more precise time frame due to factors beyond its control, such as final testing, regulatory approval, the launch provider's schedule, and the weather.

If all goes according to plan, then these five low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites – called Bluebird – will begin their orbit almost exactly one year after SpaceMobile successfully conducted its first 5G voice and data call on its test satellite, BlueWalker 3.

It has taken a lot of time and money just to get to this point – SpaceMobile received its first piece of coverage on Telecoms.com back in 2020.

As for funding, Verizon in late May chipped in $100 million as part of a long-term deal to offer D2C services via SpaceMobile's upcoming network. In January, existing backer Vodafone was joined by AT&T and Google in a strategic investment that boosted SpaceMobile's coffers to the tune of $200 million. Without this backing and these periodic investments, SpaceMobile would have run out of cash long before it got anywhere near to blast off.

Then there are the numerous tests, including that aforementioned 5G voice and data call, as well as a direct voice call between the US and Japan last April. That took place in partnership with Rakuten, which happens to be another of SpaceMobile's backers.

Now the company finally has commercial D2C services in its sights.

"This is a momentous occasion for AST SpaceMobile. These first five satellites are built on the success of our in-orbit BlueWalker 3 satellite and will provide US nationwide non-continuous service with over 5,600 cells in premium low-band spectrum, with a planned 10-fold increase in processing bandwidth," said SpaceMobile chairman and CEO Abel Avellan.

"Completing the manufacturing, assembly, and environmental testing for these satellites represents a significant milestone in our mission to bridge the digital divide and deliver connectivity to those who need it most," he said. "We are eager to see these pioneering satellites take flight and begin laying the foundation for our global cellular broadband network."

The kind of return that SpaceMobile should expect to earn on all this effort remains an open question, but recent figures from ABI Research seem fairly bullish.

The analyst firm predicts that annual revenue from the non-terrestrial networking (NTN) and D2C markets will reach $17 billion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39.8%. SpaceMobile will have to compete with the likes of Starlink and Lynk - plus service providers will get their share - but that still seems like a fairly big chunk of change nonetheless.

"NTN is rapidly evolving from a niche solution into a mainstream force that could shape the future of global ubiquitous connectivity," said Jake Saunders, VP at ABI Research. "The rapid technological advancements and key roles of NTN, such as bridging the digital divide, providing global coverage, ensuring resilient communications, and supporting diverse applications, will drive the overall NTN market."