But the five-satellite upstart has a short time window

A messy legal fight between Ligado and Inmarsat over direct-to-cellular (D2C) spectrum has been settled, giving upstart AST a chance to gain ground on Starlink.

AST SpaceMobile has only five satellites in orbit, but nonetheless has partnerships with AT&T and Verizon to provide D2C satellite services. Now, it's clear to acquire 45 MHz of spectrum from bankrupt provider Ligado (40 MHz of L-Band MSS and an additional 5 MHz in the 1670-1675 MHz band), letting it beef up its portfolio.

The situation started when Ligado filed for bankruptcy in January 2025, following the US Department of Defense's refusal to grant an expansion of its services into land-based 5G operations. The DoD argued that Ligado's plan would have interfered with military GPS receivers.

Ligado sued Inmarsat, alleging the satellite operator's failure to upgrade its terminals to eliminate potential interference, which contributed to the DoD's objections and ...