DIRECT-TO-CELL BROADBAND
How It Works
Discover how our satellites beam signals directly to smartphones, partnering with mobile operators to expand coverage worldwide.
Make a call from anywhere
When you move beyond cell tower range, your phone automatically connects to our satellite network. Nothing changes from your perspective: make calls, send messages, or stream videos just like anywhere else. Your signal simply travels up to one of our satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth.
Satellite captures your signal
Our satellites carry the largest phased antenna arrays in low Earth orbit in order to capture the weak signal from your phone. Your signal is then beamed to a ground station, or gateway. Only one or a few gateways are needed per country, and they are strategically placed to optimize performance and coverage.
Ground gateway corrects your signal
Over such long distances, your signal naturally experiences delay and the Doppler effect — a slight frequency change caused by the satellite traveling at 17,000 mph. Our gateways contain patented technology that corrects for these effects in real time, delivering a clear connection like any other.
Satellite captures your signal
Our satellites carry the largest phased antenna arrays in low Earth orbit in order to capture the weak signal from your phone. Your signal is then beamed to a ground station, or gateway. Only one or a few gateways are needed per country, and they are strategically placed to optimize performance and coverage.
Seamless Global Experience
No extra hardware, no special setup – just your phone connecting through a unified orbital network. As coverage links across regions, the system continuously optimizes every route to keep calls, messaging, and video sessions stable in motion.
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.