AST SpaceMobile has delayed the target for having approximately 45 satellites in orbit until early 2027.
The company now aims for beta direct-to-device offerings before the end of 2026 and commercial services in the first half of 2027. Vodafone, its strategic partner for the UK, will therefore see its timetable for satellite-to-mobile coverage slip further. The Telegraph reported that Vodafone has been hit by these delays because the satellites will not be ready until early 2027.
Current constellation and near-term launches
AST SpaceMobile currently operates nine BlueBird satellites, four of them next-generation models. It launched three satellites in June 2026 and has three more scheduled for August. Even with these additions the scale required for reliable rural coverage remains some distance away.
Direct-to-device satellite technology is designed to deliver calls, texts and data to unmodified 4G and 5G smartphones in areas without terrestrial network coverage. Ofcom has licensed VodafoneThree to offer such services specifically to address not-spots in rural and remote parts of Britain.
Competitor progress exposes the gap
Virgin Media O2 launched a commercial satellite-to-smartphone service in partnership with Starlink earlier in 2026. The move expanded coverage across Britain and demonstrated that agile private innovators can move faster than traditional telecom partnerships reliant on complex satellite manufacturing and launch schedules.
Vodafone had conducted tests of the technology, including a video call from a remote area in Wales in January 2025 using standard smartphones. Those early successes highlighted the potential. Yet the revised AST timeline underscores the practical challenges of scaling constellations: assembly, testing, launch vehicle readiness and the impact of past setbacks.
