AST uses BlueBird satellites in low Earth orbit to connect ordinary smartphones directly to broadband at speeds up to ~200 Mbps then routes that traffic through ground gateways back into the carrier’s existing network.
That lets AST extend coverage for nearly 60 MNO partners covering 3B+ subscribers without requiring new phones, apps or billing while using the carriers’ spectrum and customer relationships.
The model is essentially a wholesale revenue share so AST keeps 50% of subscription and day-pass revenue with estimates scaling from ~3M subscribers and ~300M of subscription revenue in 2027 to ~30M subscribers, ~$2B of subscription revenue by 2030.
The technology is proven but the next phase is a lot of execution because reaching those estimates depends on launching enough BlueBirds, adding gateways and securing country-by-country approvals to turn intermittent coverage into a continuous commercial network.
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