Will fill the blank coverage of mobile network operators
Editor’s note: This article comes from WeChat public account “航 小宇” (ID : hangxiaoyucasc) , the original title “US startups raise 110 million US dollars to build a” space mobile “constellation”, with slight changes.
Recently, AST & Science, headquartered in Midland, Texas, completed a US $ 128 million Series B financing, of which US $ 110 million came from Rakuten and telecommunications companies Vodafone, Samsung Next, and the United States. Tower company, media and real estate company Cisneros participated in the investment. The funding will be used to build a constellation project called SpaceMobile. At present, the constellation has started to develop and produce the first satellite.
AST and Science intends to build a low-orbit constellation of hundreds of satellites to launch 4G and 5G services. The picture shows the company’s founder Avilan (right) and the CEO of Rakuten Japan, who participated in this round of financing.
[Aerospace News reported on March 5] Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten and global telecommunications leader Vodafone led a US startup that plans to provide broadband services directly to smartphones with hundreds of satellites. A $ 110 million round of financing. Midland, Texas-based AST & Science has so far raised a total of $ 128 million for its SpaceMobile constellation project. As an established satellite telecommunications entrepreneur, the company’s founder, Averan, said the company needs to raise hundreds of millions of dollars before it can start generating revenue. Avelan himself also invested in this round of B financing. Participants also include Samsung’s investment agency Samsung NEXT, American Electric Tower and media and real estate company Cisneros.
Avilland said that AST & Science has started its own satellite construction and is negotiating with launch service providers. The companyA satellite manufacturing facility with an area of approximately 8,000 square meters is located in the Midland Aerospace Port in western Texas. He said that Lithuanian Cubestar manufacturer NanoAvionics, backed by AST & Science and led by him, will help build the “Space Mobile” constellation. AST & Science acquired a controlling stake in Nano-type Avionics in 2018, and Avelan also became its chairman. Shortly after leaving the emerging market communications company, Avella founded AST & Science in late 2016. Emerging market communications companies were sold to global entertainment companies for $ 550 million in the same year.
Avilan said that AST & Science’s immediate goal is to start generating revenue with “twenty” low-orbit satellites over the equator within a few years. He said the company will address the funding gap for these satellites through equity and debt financing. He declined to say how much the full global constellation would cost.
Lynk Global, Falls Church, Virginia, is also building a constellation that will provide Internet access directly to mobile phones. The company raised $ 12 million last year to build a constellation of thousands of satellite networks, with an initial size of 30. It is currently testing a communications payload mounted on a Nogge cargo ship. The spacecraft that has left the International Space Station was recently approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will remain in orbit until April 2.
AST & Science’s BlueWalker 1 verification satellite (6U cubic star) was launched by the Indian PSLV rocket last April. Averan said that the satellite built by Navionics proved that it could connect directly to mobile phones. The company’s business constellation requires much larger satellites. Avelan said they will be larger than the 860 kg “next-generation iridium” mobile phone and data satellite. He said that each “space mobile” networking satellite will consist of the same modules connected together to reduce manufacturing costs.
Avilland said that the “Space Mobile” constellation will fill the gap in base station coverage of mobile network operators. He estimates that market will involve about 5 billion people who have to repeatedly move in and out of cellular service areas. He said that Vodafone and Rakuten are both target users of the “Space Mobile” constellation. Vodafone has more than 600 million mobile phone users in 24 countries, and Rakuten is preparing to open its own mobile network throughout Japan in the coming months. Both investors claim to be optimistic about the prospects for “space movement.” Vodafone said it will provide technical, operational and regulatory expertise for the global deployment of the system. Rakuten Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Miki Hiroshi said that Rakuten wants to become Japan’s leading mobile network operator and wants to provide solutions to the global market, and this project of AST & Science is suitable for it.