US Telecom Three Companies Unite in Satellite Collaboration: Emerging Strong Player in Direct Communication Satellite Network Expansion

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $14.7 million and a net loss of $191 million driven by heavy capital expenditures and R&D. With approximately $3.5 billion in cash on hand, the company reiterated its full-year revenue guidance of $150–200 million and is scaling its vertically integrated production for the BlueBird satellite constellation. The firm disclosed that on the New Glenn 3 launch, BlueBird 7 was inserted into a lower-than-planned orbit and will be deorbited, but expects to recoup associated costs through insurance. It maintains plans to launch BlueBird 8–10 on a Falcon 9 in mid-June and to operate about 45 satellites through 2026. On May 13, director Julio A. Torres sold 15,000 shares of company stock to cover taxes due upon vesting of previously granted RSUs, reporting pre-tax proceeds of roughly $1.15 million.

Recently, AST SpaceMobile welcomed a proposed direct-to-device joint venture announced by U.S. mobile operators AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, stating that its low-Earth-orbit satellite network could serve as critical infrastructure for this industry shift. The company emphasized that it has demonstrated data transmission speeds of about 100 Mbps from space to standard smartphones. In April, AST SpaceMobile secured commercial service authority from the U.S. FCC to use 700 MHz and 800 MHz low-band spectrum, enabling up to 248 satellites to provide supplemental nationwide coverage. This approval removes a key regulatory hurdle toward commercializing its direct-to-device service in partnership with AT&T, Verizon and FirstNet.

AST SpaceMobile is a U.S. satellite-communications venture building a “direct-to-device (D2D)” space cellular network that allows ordinary mobile phones to communicate directly with satellites, without ground base stations. The company has signed commercial agreements with global carriers including AT&T and Verizon. The direct-to-device satellite market—featuring competitors such as SpaceX’s Starlink, Lynk Global and Globalstar—is a high-growth sector in which spectrum allocations, service authorizations and long-term contracts with major operators will largely determine future business models and profitability.