Nokia secures five-year global 4G and 5G deal from AST SpaceMobile

Nokia has secured a five-year global 4G and 5G deal from AST SpaceMobile. The latter plans to bring cellular connectivity directly to 4G and 5G devices via low Earth-orbiting satellites to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by over five billion mobile subscribers worldwide.

As part of the deal, Nokia and AST SpaceMobile will work to achieve their joint ambition to expand universal coverage and connect underserved communities around the world.

Nokia will provide equipment from its comprehensive, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including its AirScale base stations powered by the latest generation of ReefShark chipset.

Nokia's AirScale Single RAN equipment will enable AST SpaceMobile in providing mobile services to new and existing subscribers in regions currently not served by terrestrial communication networks. This includes connecting devices globally on land, at sea, or in flight, the Finnish firm said in a press release.

"Nokia has a long history of delivering connectivity solutions that have had a major and positive impact on society. We have worked closely with AST SpaceMobile on this important initiative for two years which seeks to provide crucial connectivity from space to underserved communities around the world," said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.

AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 satellite is planned to launch for testing in early to mid-September from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The low Earth orbiting satellite has an aperture of approximately 64 square meters (693 square feet), which is designed to communicate directly with cellular devices via 3GPP standard frequencies.

"With the integration of Nokia's AirScale system, AST SpaceMobile and Nokia are taking an important step toward closing connectivity gaps all over the world. In the coming months, we are scheduled to launch our BlueWalker 3 test satellite into low Earth orbit, which has a 64-square meter phased array antenna designed for direct-to-cell connectivity. With this satellite, we plan to conduct testing all over the world with leading mobile network operators, leveraging Nokia's technology solutions on the ground," said Scott Wisniewski, Chief Strategy Officer at AST SpaceMobile.