# AST SpaceMobile AST SpaceMobile is an Asset Manager based in Midland, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Asset Manager - **Headquarters:** Midland, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** Midland, TX, United States - **Founded:** 2017 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** ast-science.com - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/ast-science ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About Abel Avellan, a satellite industry veteran, established AST SpaceMobile with a specific mandate to bridge connectivity gaps by bypassing terrestrial infrastructure entirely. The firm emerged from Avellan's prior venture, Emerging Markets Communications, and adopted a lean, vertically-integrated model focused on in-house manufacturing of large phased-array satellites at its Midland, Texas facility. The central innovation is a low-earth orbit constellation capable of connecting directly to unmodified consumer cell phones, a technical feat that required overcoming massive physics and spectrum-sharing hurdles to gain FCC approval. The firm's asset-class exposure is concentrated entirely in space-based infrastructure and wireless spectrum. Its deployment model is that of a capital-intensive, pre-revenue technology company. Strategic investment has come from blue-chip telecom partners, with AT&T, Google, and Vodafone contributing capital and operating agreements. These cellular-distribution agreements, which cover over 2.8 billion existing subscribers, provide the commercial pathway for the constellation. The satellite build-out is supported by a loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank. The focus spans North America, Europe, and developing markets where tower density is scarce. AST SpaceMobile operates with a team of specialist engineers and satellite technicians, with a primary manufacturing hub in Midland, Texas, and secondary engineering facilities in Miami, Florida. Its public-company structure, with a large portion of shares held by insiders and a strategic partnership network, makes it a unique hybrid of an operator and a vendor for the global MNO industry. In May 2024, AT&T formalized a definitive commercial agreement, locking in the carrier's commitment to the satellite-to-phone service alongside a previous equity investment. A structural differentiator is the firm's patent portfolio covering micro-Doppler and delay compensation, the core intellectual property that enables a satellite moving at 17,000 mph to maintain a stable handoff with a ground-based phone. This technology places it outside the conventional small-sat broadband model, positioning it against both legacy satellite operators and a handful of well-funded competitors in the direct-to-device market segment. ## Sectors - SpaceTech - Telecom & Connectivity ## Offices - Miami, FL ## People - Abel Avellan — Founder, Chairman, and CEO ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at AST SpaceMobile? Investment and strategic decisions are led by founder Abel Avellan, who holds significant equity control through a special class of voting stock. Major capital allocation decisions, such as the build-out of the satellite constellation, are managed by the executive leadership team under board oversight. ### How is AST SpaceMobile different from Starlink's direct-to-cell service? The flagship architecture of AST SpaceMobile relies on very large phased-array antennas that complement existing cellular spectrum, rather than requiring dedicated T-Mobile spectrum or new chipsets in the phone. This distinction is legally critical — the firm uses a network of commercial agreements with mobile network operators to rebroadcast their own licensed low-band spectrum from space. ### Where does the primary manufacturing take place? Satellite assembly and testing is conducted in the firm's 185,000-square-foot vertically-integrated facility in Midland, Texas. The location was chosen for its combination of available space and logistical access to heavy-lift launch partners. ## Related profiles - [Vodafone Group](https://altss.com/profile/vodafone-group-public-ltd-co) - [Credo Technology Group Holding](https://altss.com/profile/credo-technology-group-holding-ltd) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/ast-spacemobile-inc Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology