The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted AST SpaceMobile a license to launch five of its commercial satellites later this year.
Following the approval, AST SpaceMobile is now authorized to launch and operate V, S, and UHF frequencies to support gateway, feeder link, and telemetry, tracking, and control operations for the first five commercial satellites.
AST SpaceMobile will launch the satellites next month, following an update of the company's constellation filings with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and related filings with the FCC in March.
In a statement, AST SpaceMobile said it has completed the manufacturing, assembly, and environmental testing of its first five commercial satellites, called BlueBirds.
It added that the BlueBirds are now ready for shipment to Cape Canaveral, Florida, during the first week of August, with a seven-day launch window in September.
"This regulatory milestone is a significant step to targeting 100 percent nationwide coverage from space of the continental United States on premium cellular spectrum,” said Scott Wisniewski, president of AST SpaceMobile.
“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.”
Wisniewski was referring to AST SpaceMobile's strategic partnerships with US carriers AT&T and Verizon, as it has satellite broadband agreements with both.
AST SpaceMobile will use cellular frequencies in the 850MHz band from both US carriers for its BlueBird satellites.
Both companies, along with Vodafone, Google, Rakuten, American Tower, and Bell Canada are also existing investors in AST SpaceMobile.
Vikram Raval, head of global regulatory affairs, added: “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 U.S. leadership in space."
Globally, AST SpaceMobile has agreements with more than 45 mobile network operators, including Vodafone Group, Rakuten Mobile, Bell Canada, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, Saudi Telecom Company, Zain KSA, Etisalat, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, and more.
Rival company SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile for its direct-to-smartphone connectivity service. Elon Musk's SpaceX launched its first batch of satellites for direct-to-smartphone connectivity on January 2.