New Zealand has approved a gateway license for Two Degrees Networks, adding ground infrastructure to AST SpaceMobile’s (ASTS) growing satellite network.
Shares of AST SpaceMobile fell 3% overnight heading into Monday, extending a rough stretch for the stock despite the regulatory milestone.
ASTS logged a 14% decline last week, marking its worst weekly performance in over a month as investor sentiment softened.
The license, issued through New Zealand’s Register of Radio Frequencies, allows Two Degrees Networks to operate a space-to-Earth gateway station connected to AST SpaceMobile’s non-geostationary satellite system.
The authorization takes effect Monday and covers frequencies between 37.5 GHz and 39 GHz, with operations restricted to an approved New Zealand gateway site and antenna array.
Conditions attached to the license require a minimum satellite elevation angle of 15 degrees and limit communication to certain designated satellites within AST SpaceMobile’s network.
Gateway stations are central to AST SpaceMobile’s strategy, connecting low-Earth-orbit satellites to terrestrial telecom networks so that voice, data, and video traffic can reach standard, unmodified smartphones.
The approval arrives as the company prepares its next satellite deployment, with BlueBird 11 already having arrived at Cape Canaveral and BlueBirds 12 and 13 expected to follow ahead of a launch targeting the first half of August.
All three satellites were built in Texas as AST SpaceMobile works to scale production capacity and maintain a faster launch cadence across its constellation buildout.
BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 are expected to feature communications arrays measuring approximately 2,400 square feet, representing a meaningful upgrade in capability over earlier satellites.
The company said the next-generation BlueBirds should deliver nearly twice the peak data speeds of its Block 1 satellites, which recently achieved download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.
BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 launched from Cape Canaveral on June 17 and are now operating in orbit, placing the next three satellites in the deployment queue.
AST SpaceMobile is targeting 45 satellites in orbit by year-end and has agreements with nearly 60 mobile-network operators representing more than 3 billion subscribers globally.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS slipped to “bearish” from “bullish” levels recorded a week ago, alongside a 95% jump in 24-hour message volumes.
One user expressed confidence in the company’s commercial model, writing: “$ASTS I’m convinced the MNOs we have MOUs with will simply include satellite via ASTS in all packages FOC and pay us a dollar per subscriber per month.”
Another user drew a contrast between AST SpaceMobile’s leadership focus and that of competitors, saying: “Abel Avellan is laser focused on DTC. Elon Musk is scatter focused on Gronk, Robotaxis, Robots, AI datacenters in Space, Starship, Mars, Starlink, X, etc… We have a great advantage in our space.”
Despite the overnight dip and last week’s losses, ASTS stock has still gained 67% over the past year, reflecting longer-term investor confidence in the company’s direct-to-smartphone broadband ambitions.
