Press release
AST SpaceMobile Provides Second Quarter 2021 Business Update
MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular
About this update from Ast Spacemobile, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" MIDLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nAST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, today provided its business update for the second quarter of 2021.\n\n“Since our public market debut on April 7th, we have made significant industrial, commercial and organizational progress towards delivering the SpaceMobile network,” said Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “The launch of our next prototype spacecraft, BlueWalker 3, is expected in March 2022. We are also working day and night as we make progress in finalizing the design of our next-generation production spacecraft, BlueBird 1, with investments in our Midland, Texas facilities and global supplier development.”\n\nAbel added, “Today, we are also happy to announce that we are finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding with MTN Group to begin negotiations regarding testing alongside BlueWalker 3 for an initial two countries. We have entered into agreements and understandings with mobile network operators which collectively cover approximately 1.5 billion mobile subscribers.”\n\nBusiness Highlights\n\n\nConfirmed the BlueWalker 3 launch timing with SpaceX from Cape Canaveral during a window beginning March 2022\n\n\nContinued investments in the buildout of our Midland, Texas facilities and global supplier development\n\n\nSigned Memoranda of Understanding (“MOUs”) with Smart Communications, Africell, MUNI, UT Mobile, LIBTELCO and others\n\n\nIncreased to approximately 1.5 billion the number of subscribers represented by mobile network operators who have agreements and understandings with AST SpaceMobile as of August 16, 2021, compared to 1.3 billion at March 31, 2021\n\n\nRegulatory approval received in 6 countries to date, which countries have a population of over 360 million\n\n\nGrowth of 62 employees across all offices in the second quarter of 2021, now with a team of 454, including 261 full-time employees, 49 full-time contractors and 144 employees of 3rd party engineering service providers working on AST SpaceMobile\n\n\nOpened our UK Office at Space Park Leicester, which will house business development, engineering and regulatory functions\n\n\nSecond Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights\n\n\nEnded the second quarter with cash and c...