AST SpaceMobile Targets U.S. Satellite-to-Phone Coverage by Year-End: What AT&T and Verizon Customers Could Get

AST SpaceMobile plans to switch on "initial, intermittent coverage" for satellite-to-phone service across the contiguous United States before the end of 2026. The company shared the update on Oct 20, 2026. Its U.S. partners are AT&T, including the FirstNet public-safety network, and Verizon, so customers of those carriers are the ones who stand to get it first.

What "intermittent" means

AST says it will activate roughly 5,600 coverage cells spanning the lower 48 states by year-end, and about 3,000 are already enabled. During this first phase, service only works while one of its satellites is passing over your area. When no satellite is overhead, there's no satellite signal. Additional launches will lengthen and increase those coverage windows until service becomes continuous.

AST says additional satellite deployments will lengthen and increase those coverage windows. Its timetable remains a target, subject to launches, ground-network work and regulatory approvals.

What it could do that satellite texting can't

Most satellite-to-phone services available today handle texting and light data. AST's satellites use large phased arrays designed to deliver cellular broadband to ordinary phones. That's the goal, though real-world speeds haven't been shown to consumers yet. SpaceX is pushing the same idea with Starlink Mobile; see our explainers on SpaceX direct-to-device service and the FCC's approval of 15,000 Starlink Mobile satellites.

What we don't know yet

• Pricing, or whether AT&T and Verizon will charge extra
• Which phones will work
• The date service actually turns on for customers
• When the next satellites launch

AST has not announced a firm date for continuous U.S. service.

It won't replace home internet

Satellite-to-phone service is meant to fill dead zones on the road, on trails and during emergencies. It isn't a substitute for a home connection. For rural homes, compare home satellite internet in 2026 with fiber and 5G home internet at your address.