AST SpaceMobile Gets FCC Green Light for First Commercial Satellite Launch

AST SpaceMobile Gets FCC Green Light for First Commercial Satellite Launch
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 06, 2024

AST SpaceMobile has announced that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted the company an initial license for space-based operations in the United States. This approval allows AST SpaceMobile to launch and operate V, S, and UHF frequencies for gateway, feeder link, and telemetry, tracking, and control operations for the first five commercial BlueBird satellites.

This FCC approval is a significant step in achieving key objectives shared by AST SpaceMobile and the Commission, such as closing the digital divide, enhancing access to emergency communications, accelerating digital transformation, and advancing U.S. leadership in direct-to-device regulation. This development follows the March 2024 update of AST SpaceMobile's constellation filings with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and related filings with the FCC, bringing the planned commercial satellites under U.S. jurisdiction.

"This regulatory milestone is a significant step to targeting 100% nationwide coverage from space of the continental United States on premium cellular spectrum," said Scott Wisniewski, President of AST SpaceMobile.

"Through our strategic partnerships with companies like AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone and our other key partners around the world, we aim to enhance cellular connectivity globally, essentially eliminating dead zones and empowering remote areas with space-based cellular broadband connectivity."

"The FCC grant paves the way for commercial space-based broadband services in the United States," said Vikram Raval, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs.

"By approving the launch of our first five BlueBirds, the largest-ever commercial communications arrays to be deployed in low Earth orbit, the FCC has taken a significant step forward for both AST SpaceMobile and U.S. leadership in space. As a U.S. company, we are committed to building our constellation and fostering regulatory relationships domestically and across the globe to provide this vital space-based infrastructure to the United States and across the world."

AST SpaceMobile has successfully completed the manufacturing, assembly, and environmental testing of its first five commercial satellites, called BlueBirds, and they are now ready for shipment to Cape Canaveral during the first week of August, with a 7-day launch window in September.