From PC Mag: Texas-based AST SpaceMobile is laying the groundwork to deliver satellite-to-phone services across Europe amid growing competition with SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system.
British carrier Vodafone, a major investor in AST, is working with the company to establish a "jointly owned European satellite service business" designed to serve mobile carriers in Europe.
The joint venture, dubbed SatCo, promises to supply “100% geographic coverage in every part of Europe” to both consumers and businesses through their local mobile carriers, the companies said in the announcement.
They're also emphasizing that “SatCo’s solution will fully support European digital sovereignty,” giving countries control over the data that flows through AST’s emerging satellite network. AST is preparing to operate dozens of so-called “BlueBird” satellites that can act as cell towers in space. But in Europe, SatCo is going to build the ground stations and network backhaul to feed and route the data to the BlueBird satellites.
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