When will AT&T and Verizon satellite phone service launch? AST says by year-end

Satellite to Phone · News · Published October 25, 2026 · SatellitePlan

Short answerAST SpaceMobile, the satellite-to-phone partner of AT&T and Verizon, says it will launch initial, intermittent space-based cellular broadband service before the end of 2026 in the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Unlike T-Mobile's Starlink-powered T-Satellite, which started with texting, AST is built for broadband: voice, video and data on an ordinary, unmodified smartphone. The catch is in the word "intermittent": early service only works while a satellite is overhead, and continuous coverage needs more launches.

What exactly is launching by year-end?

Timeline: April 2026 FCC approves up to 248 AST satellites; today over 3,000 US coverage cells live; by year-end initial intermittent service begins. More satellites extend coverage over time. — Dates and figures from AST SpaceMobile's October 20 press release and Telecompetitor. Illustration by SatellitePlan.

AST SpaceMobile's own words are "initial, intermittent coverage" before year-end 2026 across five markets, including the US. In the US, the company says it has already enabled more than 3,000 coverage cells and expects to activate the roughly 5,600 cells covering the contiguous states before year-end, the footprint required for initial service and a prerequisite for nationwide rollout.

Intermittent is doing real work in that sentence: with the satellites currently in orbit, your phone connects only when one passes overhead. AST says each additional spacecraft extends how often and how long coverage lasts, on the way to continuous service.

How is this different from T-Mobile's T-Satellite?

Three differences matter if you are choosing a carrier. First, the network: T-Satellite runs on Starlink satellites carrying T-Mobile spectrum; AST is its own satellite network that plugs into AT&T and Verizon's existing spectrum and core networks. Second, the ambition: T-Satellite launched with texting and limited app data, while AST is engineering for full broadband, voice, video and data, from the start. Third, the business: you would get AST service through AT&T or Verizon as an add-on or plan feature, not from AST directly, and neither carrier has announced consumer pricing or sign-up dates.

AST's regulatory foundation fell into place in April, when the FCC authorized it to launch and operate up to 248 low-earth-orbit satellites for supplemental coverage over the US using 700 and 800 MHz spectrum. The company says it targets roughly 100 MHz of spectrum access in the US by combining partner operators' airwaves with mobile satellite spectrum.

How does this fit the bigger satellite-to-phone race?

It is now a three-way race for your phone's dead zones. T-Mobile and Starlink have the only live US consumer service. SpaceX is assembling its own spectrum for a Starlink Mobile carrier play, with FCC approvals for EchoStar and Tristar airwaves and the 800 MHz Grain deal pending (our latest report). AST is the carrier-partnered alternative: instead of becoming a carrier, it sells capacity to AT&T and Verizon, which between them cover most American subscribers. If AST hits its year-end target, all three major US carriers will have some form of satellite service within months of each other.

AST's BlueBird satellites, built in Midland, Texas with production through BlueBird 50, are among the largest communications satellites ever flown in low earth orbit, which is how they talk directly to unmodified phones. The company claims partnerships with more than 60 operators covering over 3 billion subscribers worldwide.

What does this mean for you?

If you are on AT&T or Verizon, satellite backup for your existing phone is closer than it has ever been, but do not plan around it yet: "initial, intermittent" service means occasional coverage windows, not reliable connectivity, and neither carrier has said what it will cost. If you need dependable off-grid internet today, that is still a job for a dish: our Starlink plans and prices guide covers the current options. If you order through our referral link, you and the site owner get the same reward, paid as cash or service credit after two months of subscription (Starlink's US example is $100; the amount shown in your Starlink account is what counts).

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Frequently asked questions

When does AT&T or Verizon satellite phone service launch?

AST SpaceMobile, their satellite partner, says initial, intermittent service begins before the end of 2026 in the US. Neither carrier has announced consumer pricing or sign-up dates.

Will my current phone work with AST's satellite service?

That is the design goal: AST's network is built to connect ordinary, unmodified smartphones directly to its BlueBird satellites for voice, video and data, delivered through your carrier.

What does intermittent satellite coverage mean?

Your phone only connects while a satellite is passing overhead. With the current constellation, coverage comes in windows; AST says more satellite launches will extend how often and how long it lasts, toward continuous service.

How is AST different from T-Mobile T-Satellite?

T-Satellite runs on Starlink satellites with T-Mobile spectrum and launched with texting. AST operates its own satellites and plugs into AT&T and Verizon's networks, targeting full broadband from the start.

How many AST satellites are allowed over the US?

In April 2026 the FCC authorized AST SpaceMobile to launch and operate up to 248 low-earth-orbit satellites for supplemental coverage across the US using 700 and 800 MHz spectrum.