AST SpaceMobile and Three Brazilian Carriers Commit 700 MHz Spectrum to Satellite-Phone Network

AST SpaceMobile secures Brazilian carrier spectrum for satellite-to-phone service

AST SpaceMobile announced partnerships with three Brazilian regional carriers — Brisanet, Unifique and Iez! Telecom — to deliver direct-to-device satellite connectivity using the operators' 700 MHz spectrum. The agreements, disclosed October 23, commit the carriers to build terrestrial gateway infrastructure connecting their mobile networks to AST's satellite constellation. The parties did not disclose total investment, gateway counts, service pricing, launch timing or customer targets.

The deals give AST a Brazilian footprint through existing carrier relationships rather than direct-to-consumer distribution. Brisanet operates in approximately 340 cities across Brazil's Northeast, providing the arrangement with regional network scale beyond a proof-of-concept test. The Brazilian operators will fund and deploy the gateway infrastructure required to route traffic between terrestrial mobile networks and AST's satellites. Final contract terms remain under negotiation and require regulatory approval from Brazil's Anatel and potentially competition authority Cade.

Designed for unmodified handsets, no performance data published

The planned service targets voice calls, broadband data and video streaming on standard smartphones without equipment modifications, software updates or dedicated applications. This differentiates the architecture from enterprise satellite terminals that require specialized hardware. However, AST and the carriers have not published throughput benchmarks, latency measurements, availability commitments or outage-recovery specifications.

The absence of performance data prevents enterprise buyers from evaluating the service against terrestrial 4G/5G alternatives or comparing it to SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell offering. Enterprises with remote sites, logistics operations, utilities infrastructure or emergency-response needs cannot yet determine whether the proposed service meets minimum connectivity requirements for backup or primary use cases.

Competitive positioning against Starlink, but no commercial terms

The partnerships position AST against Starlink's direct-to-cell service by pairing satellite infrastructure with locally licensed 700 MHz spectrum held by Brazilian carriers. This structure could offer enterprises a second satellite-to-phone option across Brazil, potentially creating vendor negotiating leverage. The competitive value depends entirely on service-level commitments, pricing and launch timing — none of which have been disclosed.

The carrier-partnership model means enterprises would procure connectivity through Brisanet, Unifique or Iez! rather than directly from AST. This could simplify billing and integration for buyers already using these carriers for terrestrial mobile services, but it also adds a distribution layer between the satellite operator and the enterprise customer. Buyers must evaluate whether that structure improves or complicates accountability for uptime, support and performance guarantees once commercial terms emerge.

What enterprise buyers should track

This is not an actionable procurement option for 2026 budgets. The agreements commit spectrum and infrastructure responsibilities but leave investment totals, deployment schedules and pricing undefined. Enterprises should not include the service as a committed connectivity line item until the parties publish a launch date, gateway deployment plan and service-level agreements.

The clearest enterprise implication is future optionality for resilience and coverage in areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable or unreliable. If AST and the carriers deliver on the stated capability — satellite connectivity on unmodified handsets through existing mobile networks — it could reduce the need for dedicated satellite terminals at remote sites. That architectural simplification has budget and operational value, but only after the service is commercially available with published performance specifications.

Buyers operating across Brazil should track regulatory filings with Anatel and watch for gateway deployment announcements as indicators of launch readiness. The absence of disclosed investment suggests the parties are still negotiating commercial risk allocation, which means timeline uncertainty remains high. Enterprises evaluating satellite backup options should continue planning around Starlink and terrestrial alternatives until AST and the Brazilian carriers publish binding commitments on availability, pricing and coverage.