US EditionSatellites to Enable Seamless Global 5G and 6G by 2030
AST SpaceMobile launched its largest satellite with a 2,400 sq. ft. array supporting over 2,000 cells and 120Mbps bandwidth per cell for direct-to-phone connectivity.
- Tuesday's liftoff placed BlueBird 6 into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India, aboard an LVM3, marking its first BlueBird Block 2 satellite in orbit.
- The company emphasized the spacecraft as the largest commercial communications array in low Earth orbit at almost 2,400 square feet, and Abel Avellan said the launch validates years of U.S. innovation and marks scaled deployment.
- AST says the satellite's antenna and processing can support more than 2,000 cells per satellite with 120Mbps per cell, advancing space-based cellular broadband to unmodified phones.
- The company plans to launch 45 to 60 satellites to support AT&T and Verizon, using higher-capacity rockets like Falcon 9 and New Glenn.
- Industry context shows AST SpaceMobile trails SpaceX's Starlink by years and hundreds of satellites, with 650-plus direct-to-cell Starlinks, and analysts predict competition won't rise until 2027.
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"Boosters On. Wings Out!": AST SpaceMobile Launches Biggest Satellite Yet To Take On Starlink
"Boosters On. Wings Out!": AST SpaceMobile Launches Biggest Satellite Yet To Take On Starlink AST SpaceMobile launched its largest-ever satellite, BlueBird 6, from India earlier on Wednesday, marking the company's first satellite deployment in its low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellation. This constellation is designed to provide direct-to-smartphone connectivity and compete with SpaceX's Starlink. The launch comes as the LEO industry is expected to …
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