SpaceX launches the first five BlueBird satellites for AST SpaceMobile on Sept. 12. Photo: SpaceX

AST SpaceMobile confirmed the milestone launch of its first five commercial satellites on Thursday morning. These satellites will start service for the company’s cellular broadband network in space. 

SpaceX launched the five BlueBird satellites on a Falcon 9 mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 4:52 am. EDT. AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan confirmed post-launch that the satellites separated successfully and the team is in contact with all five satellites.  

These satellites are designed to communicate directly with unmodified cell phones. AST SpaceMobile has previously validated this technology with its BlueWalker 3 test satellite. 

Avellan said in a recent call with investors that these first five satellites will be able to provide non-continuous cellular broadband service nationwide across the United States. After a few months of in-orbit tests, AST SpaceMobile will start initial service with AT&AT and Verizon beta test users, with 5,600 cellular coverage cells across the country. 

AST SpaceMobile’s plan is to offer a roaming service via mobile network operators, and has partnerships with MNOs including AT&T, Rakuten Group, and Verizon, which signed a $100 million commitment earlier this year. Its satellites will use MNO partners’ spectrum to connect with everyday cell phones. 

“This is an exciting next step to a future where our customers will only be hard to reach if they choose to be – giving them the power to go anywhere and the possibility to do anything while staying connected with just an everyday cell phone,” said Jeff McElfresh AT&T COO. “This moment has been several years in the making, and I am proud of our teams’ work, in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile, to help make space-based connectivity a reality.”

However, the company does yet not have FCC approval to operate satellite-to-cell service. The FCC granted AST SpaceMobile an initial license to launch and operate its first five satellites in August, but did not grant approval to operate in terrestrial frequencies to offer satellite-to-cell service.