AST SpaceMobile Announces Brazil Spectrum Approval, Agreements With Four Operators

AST SpaceMobile said Monday it has Brazilian spectrum authorization and agreements with four regional mobile operators, advancing plans to connect ordinary smartphones by satellite where cellular towers do not reach.

The authorization covers 30 MHz of S-band spectrum. Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) also approved secondary use of the 700 MHz band. The operator agreements support use of up to 20 MHz in that band within the operators’ respective licensed areas.

The company’s BlueBird satellite network is designed to deliver calls, broadband data and video to standard, unmodified smartphones outside terrestrial coverage. Ground gateways would connect the satellites to the mobile operators’ networks.

Service availability depends on satellite capacity, ground infrastructure, network integration, device compatibility, applicable authorizations and commercial arrangements. AST SpaceMobile plans to install four gateways in Brazil.