Retail sentiment for AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) has fallen close to a one-year low following SpaceX’s major regulatory win in global telecommunications services.
The Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX authority to provide global facilities-based and resale telecommunications services supporting Starlink Mobile on Thursday.
SpaceX filed its amended application on August 25, the FCC accepted it for streamlined review on August 28, and formal authority was granted shortly after.
The authorization permits SpaceX to deliver telecommunications services between the United States and international markets, though it does not award additional spectrum or automatically authorize foreign operations.
Speaking at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia + Technology Conference earlier this month, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen identified dead-zone coverage and “global roaming” as key differentiators for Starlink Mobile.
Starlink currently reaches standard U.S. phones primarily through T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, which provides supplemental coverage in areas without terrestrial signal.
During its June IPO roadshow, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell reportedly told investors the company was considering selling mobile plans directly to consumers and potentially building a terrestrial U.S. network.
Shotwell said she expected SpaceX to capture “quite a few” customers from the three largest U.S. carriers, underscoring the company’s aggressive competitive posture.
SpaceX controls approximately 65 megahertz of nationwide mid-band spectrum following its $17 billion EchoStar deal, giving it significant capacity for future mobile expansion.
Shotwell has said next-generation direct-to-cell satellites using that spectrum could deliver “more than 100 times” the capacity of the current Starlink service.
SpaceX is targeting the first half of 2028 for a 5G-class Starlink Mobile product, with V3 satellites expected to begin launching aboard Starship in 2027.
ASTS stock jumped 6% on Thursday, bringing its weekly gain to 5%, even as the broader competitive landscape grew more challenging for the company.
AST and SpaceX are both pursuing the same core market: connecting standard smartphones directly to satellites when terrestrial coverage is unavailable.
AST’s wholesale model contrasts sharply with SpaceX’s increasingly vertical approach, as AST serves 60 carrier partners including AT&T, Verizon, FirstNet, Vodafone, Orange, and Rakuten.
Those 60 mobile-network partners collectively serve approximately three billion subscribers, giving AST broad reach but also significant exposure if SpaceX targets those same customers directly.
In April, the FCC authorized AST SpaceMobile to provide commercial satellite-to-phone coverage using spectrum controlled by its U.S. carrier partners, covering up to 248 satellites.
The FCC granted AST’s request despite formal objections from both SpaceX and T-Mobile, giving ASTS a meaningful regulatory foothold in the competitive satellite mobile space.
AST had 13 satellites in orbit after launching BlueBirds 8 through 13 in two separate batches 50 days apart, with further satellites in production as of its August update.
BlueBirds 14 through 16 were ready for shipment, while satellites 17 through 46 were in active production, and the company is targeting approximately 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027.
Its Block 2 satellites feature roughly 2,400-square-foot arrays and are designed for peak speeds approaching 200 megabits per second to standard smartphones.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment registered as “bearish” for ASTS with a score of 38 out of 100, just six points above its one-year low of 32.
One user noted, “$ASTS around $59 now after being over $130 at the 52-week high… and somehow the board is still never quiet Satellites are going up, commercial rollout is getting closer, but this stock makes you pay emotionally for every bit of progress.”
Another user wrote, “$ASTS Dead cat bounce because guess what?!? No news, which means BB11 is still toast and they still have no more launches in 2026.”
Despite the bearish sentiment reading, ASTS follower count has risen 5% over the past three months, signaling that sustained retail interest in the company remains intact.
Over the past year, ASTS stock has risen 52%, while the SPCX index has declined 4% over the same period, reflecting diverging investor views on the satellite mobile race.
