Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) gained 1% in overnight trading Sunday following a landmark satellite emergency communications test conducted by Vodafone Ireland in Europe.
Vodafone Ireland partnered with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer to demonstrate how integrated terrestrial and low-Earth-orbit direct-to-device satellite broadband could sustain communications during storms, power outages, and coverage gaps.
The live trial took place on Clare Island in County Mayo, Ireland, as part of Vodafone and OGCIO’s collaboration on mission-critical communications, known as MCx.
The test was conducted through Satellite Connect Europe, the joint venture between Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile, with connectivity routed through AST SpaceMobile’s satellite constellation.
Vodafone said the trial showed how satellite connectivity on a standard smartphone could support voice and data services for frontline responders when traditional mobile coverage is unavailable.
The satellite-enabled MCx call was made by Vodafone and OGCIO representatives to David Lund, coordinator of the European Union Critical Communications Service in the U.K.
Vodafone stated that the test marked a milestone for Ireland and for the evolution of emergency communications across Europe, with no specialized software, device upgrades, or updates required on the user end.
The Ireland test adds momentum to Satellite Connect Europe, which formally launched in February as a European open-access direct-to-device satellite broadband provider for mobile network operators across the continent.
The Luxembourg-based joint venture holds exclusive European access to AST SpaceMobile’s low-Earth-orbit constellation and is rolling out five Europe-based ground stations, with builds already underway in Spain and the U.K.
Three additional ground station locations are being finalized, and the company says the structure keeps network operations, data handling, and service control firmly within European jurisdiction.
The Vodafone Ireland trial arrives as AST SpaceMobile continues to expand its BlueBird satellite network at a rapid pace, with BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 now confirmed in orbit and operational.
BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 represent the next batch, targeted for launch from Cape Canaveral in the first half of August, and are expected to feature commercial communications arrays of approximately 2,400 square feet.
Those upcoming satellites are designed to deliver nearly double the peak data speeds of the company’s initial Block 1 BlueBird satellites, a significant performance upgrade for the growing network.
AST SpaceMobile also confirmed that satellites are now in production through BlueBird 37, an increase from BlueBird 32 earlier this year, reflecting the accelerating pace of the company’s buildout.
ASTS stock jumped 19% last week, snapping a four-week losing streak, and has now risen 86% over the past year as investor interest in satellite broadband infrastructure continues to build.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS was rated “bullish” amid normal message volume, with traders expressing optimism ahead of the coming week’s trading sessions.
One user said, “$ASTS so excited for upcoming week! I await some PRs which will bring us easy to over 100$ This stock is so undervalued right now. Time to bring it to a fair value.”
Another user expressed even greater confidence, expecting “$90+ on the open tomorrow on its way to ATH,” reflecting the aggressive price targets circulating among retail investors tracking the stock.
