20+ years in software/technology 100% Addicted to AI
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Demis Hassabis+Abel Avellan=heros
$ASTS - AST SpaceMobile has now secured integration into the US FirstNet public safety network (in coordination with AT&T) and effectively won Japan’s J-LEO initiative via its joint venture with Rakuten Mobile.
When the world’s two most demanding telecommunications and public safety regulators independently audit a technology and reach the exact same conclusion, it sets a global precedent.
These aren't just commercial deals, they are sovereign mandates for national security and disaster resilience.
The underlying reason AST SpaceMobile triumphed in both arenas reveals exactly why it makes overwhelming economic sense for the rest of the world to adopt the same solution.
The core differentiator, and the reason AST SpaceMobile defeated alternatives like SpaceX's Starlink in Japan's strict procurement process, is data sovereignty.
Most LEO mega-constellations rely on inter-satellite laser links to route traffic across the globe. While highly efficient for standard global broadband, this introduces a massive national security liability: a citizen's data (or a first responder's transmission) can cross international borders before being downlinked to a ground station.
AST SpaceMobile utilizes a "bent pipe" architecture. The massive BlueBird satellites act as space-based cell towers, catching the signal from an unmodified smartphone and bouncing it straight down to a local gateway within that specific country's borders. All data routing, core network control, and encryption keys remain strictly on domestic soil. For governments prioritizing disaster resilience and national security, this is the only acceptable architecture.
In the wake of geopolitical tensions, countries from the EU to the Middle East are attempting to build their own sovereign LEO constellations. However, orbital mechanics dictate that LEO satellites circle the globe at roughly 17,000 mph; they cannot simply hover over a single nation.
If a country builds a sovereign constellation to ensure continuous overhead coverage, those multi-million dollar satellites will spend over 90% of their orbit flying over other nations, providing zero value to the state that paid for them. It is a wildly capital-inefficient strategy.
AST SpaceMobile solves the "Sovereign LEO Dilemma" by offering a shared global infrastructure with strict local partitioning.
Nations do not need to spend billions designing, launching, and replacing their own orbital hardware. They leverage a network funded and maintained by private capital.
The network utilizes the standard sub-6 GHz spectrum already owned by domestic mobile network operators (MNOs). It doesn't require carving out new global spectrum allocations or navigating complex regulatory workarounds.
First responders and citizens don't need expensive proprietary satellite phones or specialized ground terminals. The network connects directly to the standard 5G smartphones they already have in their pockets.
By adopting the FirstNet/J-LEO model, governments guarantee nationwide, domestically routed emergency communications at a fraction of the cost of a bespoke space program.
The blueprint has been validated by the United States and Japan.
Here is a list of the major sovereign (and heavily state-backed) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite initiatives globally. They are driven by a mix of national security, digital autonomy, and disaster resilience.
Japan: J-LEO
A roughly $1 billion state-backed constellation focused on disaster resilience and consumer direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity. It mandates that all network control and data routing remain entirely within Japan to prevent communication blackouts during natural disasters.
Taiwan: Beyond 5G (B5G)
Spearheaded by the Taiwan Space Agency, this program is developing independent LEO communication payloads to ensure Taiwan’s command systems and internet survive if its highly vulnerable subsea cables are severed by geopolitical conflicts or earthquakes.
India: ISRO & Jio Platforms
Driven by strict data localization laws, India's space agency (ISRO) and national telecom champions like Jio are developing sovereign LEO networks. The goal is to connect rural India without allowing sensitive domestic data to touch foreign-owned infrastructure.
South Korea: Project 425 & Hanwha Systems
A dual-track approach. Project 425 is a sovereign military constellation for independent reconnaissance of North Korea. Concurrently, defense contractor Hanwha Systems is building a government-supported commercial LEO network to power 6G and urban air mobility.
European Union: IRIS²
The €10.5 billion Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite. Spurred by the war in Ukraine, this multi-orbit network of nearly 300 satellites will provide highly encrypted communications for EU militaries and governments, ensuring independence from American commercial operators.
United Kingdom: The Sovereign Stake (OneWeb)
Instead of building a network from scratch, the UK government invested £400 million to rescue OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb) from bankruptcy. This secured a "golden share," guaranteeing the UK prioritized access and veto rights over a global LEO network for defense and remote connectivity.
Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 LEO
As part of its economic diversification strategy, Saudi Arabia is actively planning a sovereign LEO network to ensure absolute national autonomy over its digital infrastructure. The current challenge is structuring international partnerships to make a localized network financially viable.
Oman: Omansat & Space Policy 2023–2033
Oman is embedding space infrastructure directly into its national security strategy. By developing domestic satellites (like Omansat-1) and strict regulatory frameworks for orbital slots, Oman is prioritizing sovereign data control and regional trust over rapid, massive scale.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): MBRSC LEO Programs
The UAE is heavily investing in localized satellite assembly, integration, and testing (AIT). Programs out of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre are rapidly building sovereign Earth observation and communication fleets (such as the upcoming Sirb radar constellation) to reduce reliance on foreign hardware.
Canada: Telesat Lightspeed
While Telesat is a commercial operator, the Lightspeed LEO constellation is heavily backed by over $2 billion in Canadian federal and provincial loans and subsidies. The government considers it a strategic sovereign asset, required to guarantee secure connectivity for Canada’s vast, unserved Arctic territories and its national defense forces.
AST SpaceMobile could win them all.
J-LEO. Just a reminder, probably something the shorts don’t really appreciate yet. No biggie, just a G-7 country giving $ASTS $1bn for the sole purpose of accelerating a non-SpaceX offering. 🤷🏻
$ASTS: 🔥TAKE A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT IT
The Japanese government is giving AST SpaceMobile and Rakuten $1 Billion to purchase BlueBird satellites and command/control/network infrastructure
These satellites will also be available for use globally as part of AST's federated constellation
$ASTS
(Bloomberg) -- Shares in satellite and space-linked companies are rallying in premarket trading Monday as a report of Japanese subsidy, as well as Rocket Lab’s merger agreement, buoys stocks in the sector.
•Earlier, Nikkei reported that the Japanese government will offer 150b yen in subsidies, spread over 3 years, to Rakuten Group and AST SpaceMobile venture to provide satellite-to-mobile communications
◦ASTS is up as much as 9.2% before the opening bell
Abel is the Jeff Bezos of the 2020's. Mark my words. $ASTS. It starts with executive compensation philosophy and treating shareholders as partners.
Alignment Matters™️.
A milestone worth lighting up New York City.🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10, the largest commercial communications arrays ever in LEO, are now successfully orbiting Earth.
#ASTSpaceMobile#ConnectingTheUnconnected#Nasdaq
$ASTS: 🫡Special thanks to @SpaceX for a flawless mission delivering AST SpaceMobile BlueBird8-10 successfully to orbit
This is SpaceX's third AST SpaceMobile mission
🚀BlueWalker-3
🚀BlueBird1-5
🚀BlueBird8-10
Encapsulation complete.
BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 are now secured inside Falcon 9's fairing ahead of launch.
A stacked configuration powered by advanced carbon fiber structures, engineered to withstand ascent forces comparable to carrying a fully loaded space shuttle orbiter during launch. 💪
Next stop: launch. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Built in Texas. Broadband from space. Designed to connect directly to everyday smartphones. 🌎📶📱
#ASTSpaceMobile #Broadband #ConnectingtheUnconnected #BlueBirds
HAPPY SPACEX IPO WEEK TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATES 🚀
SPACEX going public at most likely over $2T. In our opinion this will really highlight how undervalued $ASTS is at $36bn
Especially when 70%+ of $SPCX revenue is Starlink.
$ASTS continues to be an under covered gem. The masses will catch on soon!
$ASTS - What if...
🔵 Blue Origin nails NG4 in the coming weeks, and launch cadence ramps fast.
🔵 Falcon 9 deploys 3 Bluebird Block 2 satellites in June
🔵 AST ships another batch of satellites in June.
🔵 AST confirms the 3 Bluebird Block 2 satellites are operating nominally
🔵 Major MNO (i.e. T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Rogers) deflect from Starlink Mobile and joins AST SpaceMobile
🔵 AST ships another batch of satellites in July.
🔵 AST is awarded DoD contract(s)
🔵 AST ships another batch of satellites in August.
satellites.
And so on...
I can see it.
I'm working on getting a podcast page up on Spotify to publish several X spaces I did over the last 4-5 months. Names I've covered include $BAER $KRKNF $SRTA $TE and some general topics like warrants. Stay tuned.
Unfortunately older episodes get deleted by X and are not recoverable.