DIRECT-TO-CELL BROADBAND
How It Works
Discover how our satellites beam signals directly to smartphones, partnering with mobile operators to expand coverage worldwide.
DIRECT-TO-CELL BROADBAND
How It Works
Discover how our satellites beam signals directly to smartphones, partnering with mobile operators to expand coverage worldwide.
BLUEBIRDS
The Largest Phased Array Antennas in LEO
Given the low power and small antenna size of standard mobile phones, the satellite must provide the necessary signal strength. To compensate, our BlueBird 1-5 satellites use 693 sqft phased array antennas, the largest commercial arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit. Our next-generation BlueBirds are 3x larger with 10x the data capacity.
These massive arrays produce highly focused beams that maintain strong, reliable connections while avoiding interference with terrestrial networks.
POWERED BY OUR CUSTOM
AST5000 Chip
At the heart of our next-gen BlueBirds is our AST5000 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a proprietary chip representing 150 person-years of team effort in research and development. This chip gives our satellites:
Advanced signal processing capabilities
Energy efficiency
Unprecedented data throughput for space-based connectivity
With the AST5000, each BlueBird can deliver up to 120 Mbps per coverage cell across more than 2,000 cells — powering millions of calls, texts, and streams every day.
No satellite phones. No additional hardware or software. Just full broadband, direct from space to your existing mobile device.
Partnering with Global Carriers to Reach Billions AST SpaceMobile is working with more than 50 mobile network operators around the world — representing nearly 3 billion subscribers.
Spectrum: The Highways of Connectivity
At the most fundamental level, our technology is only possible through the use of radio spectrum — the invisible “highways” that carry wireless signals. Different bands of spectrum have unique characteristics: lower frequency bands travel farther and penetrate buildings, while higher bands enable faster speeds and greater capacity.
To deliver broadband from space, AST SpaceMobile secures and manages the right mix of spectrum, combining our MNO partners’ licensed frequencies with our own global holdings. This comprehensive spectrum strategy gives our satellites powerful, dedicated lanes to move data quickly and reliably.