AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced significant progress toward bringing space-based cellular broadband to Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy.
AST SpaceMobile has secured S-band spectrum authorization from Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), as well as regulatory approval for the secondary use of spectrum in the 700 MHz band. In addition, the Company signed agreements with four regional mobile network operators and unveiled plans to install ground infrastructure in the country to support connect-anywhere capabilities for the more than 200 million handset lines in Brazil.
Anatel’s authorization covers 15+15 MHz of S-band spectrum, totaling 30 MHz, for AST SpaceMobile’s planned service in Brazil. In addition, following Anatel’s regulatory approval, agreements with four regional operators support AST SpaceMobile’s authorized secondary use of up to 10+10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band within the operators’ respective licensed areas. These complementary spectrum resources — 30 MHz in the S-band and up to 20 MHz in the 700 MHz band — strengthen AST SpaceMobile’s ability to deliver space-based cellular broadband across Brazil, beyond the reach of terrestrial network to enable voice calls, broadband data and video streaming directly on standard, unmodified smartphones.
“Brazil’s ambition for connectivity matches the scale of the country,” said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “We are bringing together the spectrum, operator relationships and ground infrastructure to deliver a third layer of connectivity across Brazil. Our goal is to work with mobile network operators to give every mobile subscriber a path to cellular broadband from space and enable operators to fulfill the promise of coverage wherever people live, work and travel.”
Brazil represents a significant opportunity for space-based connectivity, with over 210 million people and a territory spanning roughly 8.5 million square kilometers. Coverage gaps remain substantial: assessments indicate that roughly half of the country's federal and state highway network and two thirds of land available for agricultural use lack 4G or 5G coverage. These gaps underscore the potential of space-based cellular broadband to connect communities, support economic activity, and extend mobile services across Brazil's vast geography.
Together with AST SpaceMobile’s existing mobile network operator partners in Brazil, these regional operators will support the expansion of space-based cellular broadband coverage nationwide, reaching millions of people who remain unconnected or under connected.
These agreements expand AST SpaceMobile’s relationships in Brazil and reinforce a global network of more than 60 mobile network operator partners serving over three billion subscribers combined. This breadth of collaboration gives AST SpaceMobile multiple routes to market, combining operators’ local reach and established customer relationships with a satellite network designed to extend their services beyond the limits of terrestrial infrastructure.
AST SpaceMobile is also planning investment in four gateways in Brazil to support the country’s ground infrastructure. These facilities will link the company’s BlueBird satellite network, the largest satellites ever deployed in low Earth orbit, backed by over 3,900 patent and patent-pending claims, with mobile operators’ networks, routing voice, video and broadband data between space and terrestrial networks. Planning is underway to support deployment and integration with participating operators.
Service availability will expand as satellite capacity and ground infrastructure are deployed and network integration progresses, subject to applicable authorizations, device compatibility and commercial arrangements.