New York, Jan 6, 2026, 13:14 EST — Regular session
Shares of AST SpaceMobile Inc rose about 7% to $97.27 by 1:14 p.m. EST on Tuesday, after touching $97.89 earlier in the session.
The move followed an AT&T plan to start a “beta” direct-to-device satellite service in the first half of 2026 using AST SpaceMobile, Light Reading reported. The initial service would reach a select group of consumer customers and FirstNet public-safety users, while BlueBird 7 has been shipped to Florida for its launch and four additional launches have been planned before March 2026, the report said; an AT&T spokesperson said it was “still too early to give a specific date” for a commercial rollout beyond the beta phase.
The timing matters now because investors have tied AST’s valuation to proof it can move from demonstrations to repeatable launches and carrier-backed service. Direct-to-device uses low-Earth-orbit satellites to connect standard phones without a separate satellite handset, and the market is watching for signs the coverage can become frequent enough to look like a mainstream mobile add-on rather than a novelty.
AST said in a post on Tuesday that BlueBird 7 is “ready for flight” and has arrived in Florida, and it pointed to 2026 as the year it expects more BlueBird satellites to reach orbit as it starts space-based cellular broadband services with mobile-network-operator partners. 1
Satellite Today reported this week that AST has kicked off its launch campaign for upgraded BlueBird satellites. Chief executive Abel Avellan called the BlueBird 6 launch a “breakthrough moment” and said the company is targeting 45–60 satellites by the end of 2026, with launches planned every one to two months on average. 2
On its website, AST said its next-generation BlueBird campaign is ramping up with launches planned every one to two months and that it will announce the BlueBird 7 launch date soon. The company said BlueBird 6 launched on Dec. 23, 2025. 3
But the timeline is sensitive to launch schedules. AST has said the exact timing of orbital launches can change due to factors including launch-provider readiness and weather, many of which are outside its control. 4
Investors are now looking for a firm launch window for BlueBird 7 and confirmation that the AT&T beta begins in the first half of 2026. They will also track whether AST can stick to plans for multiple launches before March 2026.
