Taiwan Mobile announced yesterday (2nd) that it signed a "Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Strategic Cooperation on Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Communication Services" with US low-Earth orbit satellite communication operator AST SpaceMobile during the MWC Mobile World Congress. The two parties will promote the coordinated operation of "space base stations" and existing mobile networks in Taiwan, establish a space-ground integrated communication architecture, enhance all-time and all-location connectivity, and strengthen communication resilience in disaster and emergency situations.
AST SpaceMobile is the world's first communications operator to focus on "standard mobile phone direct satellite connection" and has received strategic investment from international technology companies such as Google. Through this collaboration, Taiwan Mobile will further connect the international telecommunications and technology ecosystem, promote the deployment of non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and develop global communication capabilities in sync with the world's leading telecommunications operators.
No phone modification needed: D2C technology fills the coverage gap in base stations.
The core of this collaboration is Direct to Cellular (D2C) satellite technology. AST SpaceMobile's low-Earth orbit satellites are located at an altitude of approximately 500 kilometers or higher, allowing them to directly transmit signals to regular 4G/5G smartphones. This enables users to maintain basic connectivity even in situations without ground base station coverage, without needing to change equipment or connect to an external satellite terminal.
Compared to traditional satellite communications, which require specialized equipment and large antennas, D2C technology allows users to access services directly through their everyday mobile phones, offering greater convenience and cost-effectiveness. This technology is particularly suitable for remote mountainous areas, at sea, outlying islands, and in situations where terrestrial networks are disrupted due to disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes, serving as a critical communication backup mechanism.
AST SpaceMobile is building its "SpaceMobile" low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, with its commercial BlueBird satellites employing a large phased array antenna design. The first Block 1 satellites were launched in 2024, and the planned Block 2 will feature an antenna with an area of approximately 2,400 square feet and higher bandwidth capabilities, improving coverage time and data transmission efficiency.
B2B2C Model: Satellite Helps Telecom Companies Patch Up Coverage Areas
AST SpaceMobile adopts a B2B2C business model. Instead of directly providing retail telecommunications services, it wholesales satellite capacity to mobile network operators, who then provide it as a value-added service to existing users, with a revenue-sharing mechanism.
The company has already signed cooperation agreements or memorandums of understanding with more than 45 telecom operators worldwide, including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Rakuten, potentially covering approximately 2.8 billion users. For telecom operators, satellite networks can serve as a supplementary layer in areas where base stations are difficult to deploy economically, reducing communication costs in remote areas and at sea, while improving overall network reliability.
Compared to traditional satellite phone operators such as Iridium, AST is positioned closer to mobile broadband extension, targeting high-value scenarios such as government, defense, maritime and disaster response.
Taiwan is promoting non-terrestrial networks to strengthen national communications resilience.
Taiwan Mobile General Manager Lin Chih-chen stated that this collaboration marks a key milestone in the company's integrated satellite-terrestrial communications strategy, which will gradually expand to diverse scenarios including consumer services, enterprise applications, and emergency response. Taiwan's terrain encompasses mountains, valleys, and outlying islands, and it is located in an area prone to typhoons and earthquakes. Even though its overall operational coverage has reached international standards, there is still a need to strengthen communication capabilities in special geographical and disaster situations. Low-Earth orbit satellites can assist remote areas with internet connectivity and emergency message transmission, while also serving as a backup system in the event of terrestrial network outages.
Under the cooperative framework, AST SpaceMobile will provide and operate the low-Earth orbit satellite communication system and related technical resources; Taiwan Mobile will be responsible for the construction and operation of ground stations, local network integration, spectrum coordination and regulatory communication to promote the implementation of services.
Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Become a New Competition in Telecom: The Market for Universal Connectivity Could Reach Trillions of Dollars
AST SpaceMobile, headquartered in Texas, USA, was founded in 2017 and is listed on Nasdaq (ticker symbol ATS). The company aims to create the world's first space-based mobile broadband network that can be used directly by unmodified mobile phones, targeting approximately 3 billion users worldwide who do not have access to stable mobile broadband services, and expects to gradually enter the commercial revenue stage starting in 2025.
With tech and space companies like Apple, SpaceX, and Amazon investing in non-terrestrial communications, the integration of low-Earth orbit satellites and terrestrial networks is becoming a new competitive arena in the global telecommunications industry. Market research and company forecasts suggest that the long-term potential market for mobile broadband with direct satellite connectivity could reach hundreds of billions to trillions of US dollars.
This collaboration between Taiwan Mobile and AST SpaceMobile signifies Taiwan's formal entry into the global integrated satellite-terrestrial communications landscape, incorporating satellite mobile broadband into the future digital infrastructure system and laying the foundation for global connectivity and national communications resilience.
This article, titled "Taiwan's Collaboration with AST SpaceMobile to Promote Direct Mobile Phone Connections to Low-Earth Orbit Satellites, Enhancing the Resilience of Space-Ground Integrated Communications," first appeared on ABMedia .
