AST SpaceMobile accelerated satellite internet for smartphones by nearly five times

AST SpaceMobile boosts data transfer speeds nearly fivefold

The Texas startup, which is poised to launch a satellite network competitor to Starlink Mobile from SpaceX, has found a way to increase the throughput of its first satellites from 21 Mbps to almost 99 Mbps. That’s already enough for high‑quality voice and video calls.

How it was demonstrated
In a video posted by the company, a BlueBird satellite is shown transmitting data at 98.9 Mbps to a standard smartphone on a stationary boat in international waters off the Bahamas.

> “Right onto a standard smartphone in international waters. No modifications. No new equipment,” notes AST SpaceMobile.

The speed was achieved with first‑generation satellites (Block 1), launched in 2024 and equipped with a 65 m² antenna. The company has not yet disclosed how it managed such an increase.

Competitive positioning
AST SpaceMobile intends to compete with Starlink Mobile in the satellite mobile communications market—areas without coverage from traditional networks.

* Starlink Mobile (T‑Mobile) currently uses 650 satellites and provides a download speed of about 4 Mbps.
* The second generation of Starlink is under development, promising up to 150 Mbps per user.

Orbital network expansion plan
At present AST SpaceMobile has only seven satellites:

1. Six – the first BlueBird block (Block 1);
2. One – the second block (Block 2), BB6, with a 223 m² antenna capable of 120 Mbps per cell.

The company’s goal is to grow its satellite constellation to 45–60 spacecraft by the end of 2024. This will ensure continuous coverage in key markets, including the United States.

New satellite launches
A problem arose when attempting to launch BlueBird 7 on a New Glenn rocket from Blue Origin—the flight ended unsuccessfully.

Now the plan is:

* Three second‑generation BlueBird satellites will be launched in June aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to make up lost time and accelerate network growth.

Thus, AST SpaceMobile has already proven that its first block can operate far faster than advertised, and further expansion of the satellite group should make them competitive in the global mobile communications market.