Discussing the move, a spokesperson for the company said: “With this initial license, AST SpaceMobile is now authorised to launch and operate V, S and UHF frequencies. [This is to] support gateway, feeder link and telemetry, tracking, and control operations for the first five commercial BlueBird satellites.
“This FCC grant represents a critical step to advancing several important goals shared by AST SpaceMobile and the commission. These include closing the digital divide, expanding access to emergency communications, accelerating digital transformation and advancing US leadership in direct-to-device regulation.”
According to AST SpaceMobile, the decision follows-on from its March 2024 update of constellation filings with the International Telecommunication Union.
AST president, Scott Wisniewski, said: “This regulatory milestone is a significant step to targeting 100 per cent nationwide coverage from space of the continental United States on premium cellular spectrum.
“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 company’s head of global regulatory affairs, Vikram Raval, said: “The FCC grant paves the way for commercial space-based broadband services in the United States. 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 US leadership in space.”
AST SpaceMobile has manufactured and tested its first five commercial satellites, which it calls BlueBirds. Launch is planned from Cape Canaveral in September.
