NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 18:16 ET — After-hours
- AST SpaceMobile shares closed down 0.7% Monday and were last up about 0.7% in after-hours trading.
- AT&T outlined satellite-to-cell milestones and a 2026 beta plan in a new blog post.
- A regulatory filing showed an AST director bought shares at $80 last week under a pre-arranged trading plan.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) shares closed down 0.7% at $71.47 on Monday and were last up about 0.7% at roughly $72.00 in after-hours trading. The stock ranged from $69.69 to $74.89 during the session.
The move matters because AST SpaceMobile sits at the center of a race to add satellite coverage to everyday smartphones, a theme that has made the stock prone to sharp swings on each new milestone.
Investors are looking for concrete markers that the company can turn launches, testing and carrier partnerships into a scalable service. That keeps the spotlight on timelines, network readiness and funding.
AT&T, a key partner, on Monday pointed to progress on the ground infrastructure that links satellite service into its terrestrial network and flagged a 2026 rollout path. “Beta satellite service in the first half of next year, with commercial launch to follow,” wrote Robert Walters, an AT&T senior vice president, in a company blog post. AT&T Newsroom
The post said AT&T has brought a fourth “ground gateway” online — an earth station that routes traffic between satellites and the carrier’s network — and said agencies in Texas and Colorado have connected over AST’s satellites in orbit.
A separate disclosure also drew attention. A Form 4 filing showed AST director Keith Larson bought 625 shares at $80 on Dec. 24 through an IRA, lifting his indirect holdings to 2,015 shares; the filing said the trade was made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted in September.
AST’s modest decline during regular trading came as broader U.S. equities slipped, with the S&P 500 proxy SPY down 0.4% and the tech-heavy QQQ down 0.5%. Satellite-communications peers Iridium Communications and Viasat also edged lower.
AST SpaceMobile is building a space-based cellular broadband network aimed at connecting directly with standard, unmodified smartphones — often called “direct-to-device” service. The company said last week it launched its first next-generation satellite, BlueBird 6, designed to support 4G and 5G services from space. Business Wire
Traders are now watching for signs that the company can keep a steady launch cadence and convert field tests into a broader beta. AT&T’s comments about additional launches into early 2026 add a near-term scoreboard for that execution story.
Funding remains another watch point for a capital-intensive constellation buildout. In its latest quarterly filing, AST reported $1.204 billion of cash and cash equivalents as of Sept. 30, 2025, and said it had an at-the-market equity program with $517.6 million remaining as of the report date.
Competitive pressure in satellite-to-phone connectivity is rising as carriers and satellite operators chase coverage in remote areas. That raises the stakes for spectrum access, regulatory clearances and dependable satellite performance.
From a trading perspective, Monday’s low near $70 is the first level many investors will be watching into Tuesday’s session. The day’s high just under $75 marks the next nearby resistance on the chart.
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