AT&T and AST SpaceMobile, with supporting ground-based technology from Ericsson and Nokia, have achieved what we believe is the industry’s first successful handoff between a ground-based cellular network and a direct-to-device satellite network.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102256625/en/

Your phone should just stay connected.

Currently, moving between ground and satellite coverage can mean a dropped call or interrupted connection. The companies are engineering a seamless experience where the network does the work behind the scenes, helping you stay connected in more places.

The milestone occurred Wednesday, October 21, 2026, outside Granite Falls, Washington, at 8:15 a.m. PT. It builds on previous voice calls, text messages and video calls through AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites using everyday smartphones.

This time, the companies tackled a different challenge: moving a connection between AT&T’s ground-based wireless network and AST SpaceMobile’s satellite network seamlessly. That’s why collaboration matters:

  • AT&T provides America’s strongest nationwide wireless network.

  • AST SpaceMobile provides the satellite network designed to connect directly with everyday smartphones.

  • Ericsson provides AT&T the combined radio and core technology with intelligent network automation to optimize handoffs between ground-based and satellite networks—reducing transition times from seconds to milliseconds, so customers, first responders, and other essential workers stay connected.

  • Nokia provides the radio access technology and mobility software that power AST SpaceMobile’s space-based network enabling seamless handover, service continuity and a smooth customer experience as users move between terrestrial networks and satellite coverage.

”Building on the strength of AT&T’s terrestrial network, AST SpaceMobile satellite connectivity is designed to complement and extend, not replace, the network by extending service to remote and hard-to-reach areas, keeping customers stay connected as wherever they live, work and travel. This successful handoff advances the integration needed to deliver that experience, with terrestrial and satellite networks working together behind the scenes. For customers, the experience should be simple: staying connected without having to think about the technology behind it.

Advancing Toward Beta

“The successful handoff is a significant milestone, but it’s not the finish line. The next phase is expected to include beta services under real-world conditions, allowing the companies to further refine performance,” says Robert Walters, SVP Network, AT&T. “The broader objective is to progress ultimately to commercial service.”

“Together with AT&T we are making cellular broadband coverage from space a seamless part of the mobile network people use every day,” says Wayne Thorsen, Chief Commercial Officer, AST SpaceMobile. “Our space-based network, powered by our BlueBird satellites, with the largest communication arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit is designed to give people more places to make calls, use their apps, stream content and stay connected with the smartphones they already own. It also adds a new layer of resilience for first responders who depend on reliable communications when it matters most.”

As AT&T moves toward beta and commercial service, the focus remains on extending connectivity farther and making it simpler for customers.

You can watch the video of the event (here).

About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio, and designed for both commercial and government applications. Our engineers and space scientists are on a mission to enable 4G and 5G space-based cellular broadband to every device, everywhere, for today’s nearly 6 billion mobile subscribers globally. For more information, follow AST SpaceMobile on YouTube, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook. Watch this video for an overview of the SpaceMobile mission.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of AST SpaceMobile to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,” or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside AST SpaceMobile’s control and are difficult to predict.

Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) expectations regarding AST SpaceMobile’s strategies and future financial performance, including AST’s future business plans or objectives, expected functionality of the SpaceMobile Service, anticipated timing of the launch of the Block 2 BlueBird satellites, anticipated demand and acceptance of mobile satellite services, prospective performance and commercial opportunities and competitors, the timing of obtaining regulatory approvals, ability to finance its research and development activities, commercial partnership acquisition and retention, products and services, pricing, marketing plans, operating expenses, market trends, revenues, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and AST SpaceMobile’s ability to invest in growth initiatives; (ii) the negotiation of definitive agreements with mobile network operators relating to the SpaceMobile Service that would supersede preliminary agreements and memoranda of understanding and the ability to enter into commercial agreements with other parties or government entities; (iii) the ability of AST SpaceMobile to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees and AST SpaceMobile’s responses to actions of its competitors and its ability to effectively compete; (iv) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (v) the possibility that AST SpaceMobile may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (vi) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against AST SpaceMobile; and (vii) other risks and uncertainties indicated in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including those in the Risk Factors section of AST SpaceMobile’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2026, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026 filed with the SEC on May 11, 2026 and the future reports that it may file from time to time with the SEC.

AST SpaceMobile cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. AST SpaceMobile cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. For information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors in AST SpaceMobile’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2026, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026 filed with the SEC on May 11, 2026 and the future reports that it may file from time to time with the SEC. AST SpaceMobile’s securities filings can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, AST SpaceMobile disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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