New York, January 12, 2026, 20:10 EST — The market has closed.
- Shares of AST SpaceMobile ended 0.7% higher at $98.39, having fluctuated between $93.62 and $101.11 during the session.
- AT&T’s FirstNet plans to roll out satellite connectivity for first responders by the first half of 2026.
- Investors are focused on whether AST can accelerate launches and deploy gateways quickly enough to move from demos to a reliable, ongoing service.
AST SpaceMobile’s shares closed Monday up 0.7% at $98.39, following news that AT&T’s FirstNet unit plans to roll out satellite coverage for first responders by mid-2026. “You need a layered approach,” said FirstNet President Scott Agnew. Still, Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner noted AST is “significantly behind” SpaceX’s Starlink project. Fierce Network
The timing is crucial, setting a near-term checkpoint on a trade fueled more by milestones and deadlines than by earnings strength. For AST, the FirstNet rollout represents a prominent early use case—one that often punishes outages and poor coverage harshly.
This move hits the heart of a growing scramble to link regular smartphones directly to satellites—no special gear needed. The idea: when a phone loses terrestrial coverage, the satellite connection kicks in, covering basic data and voice calls.
AST recently launched its BlueBird 6 satellite in late December, aiming to deliver 4G and 5G service directly to regular phones. CEO Abel Avellan described the event as “a breakthrough moment.” The company reaffirmed its goal to deploy between 45 and 60 satellites by the end of 2026. Business Wire
AT&T is moving fast on the network front. On Dec. 29, a senior vice president revealed in a blog post that the company activated its fourth “ground gateway”—the crucial hubs connecting satellites to the terrestrial network. They also highlighted a West Texas trial involving public-safety agencies using AST satellites. AT&T Newsroom
Traders keep coming back to that buildout. A few satellites might confirm the physics, but coverage, capacity, and reliability demand more. Investors want solid proof the launch pace can be maintained and that the gateway footprint can expand smoothly, without hitting bottlenecks.
AST shares continue to behave like a momentum play. The stock has climbed roughly 35% so far this year and surged about 340% over the last 12 months, based on MarketBeat data.
Still, the downside risks remain. Delays in launches or shaky early service could derail the plan fast — particularly for a company that must spend heavily to get dozens of satellites up before its coverage begins to resemble a true commercial network.
Since the market is closed, attention now shifts to whether investors see the FirstNet timeline as a genuine move toward service or simply another deadline. Also in the near term: operational developments like additional launches and updates on beta trials FirstNet has slated for early 2026.
AST’s next quarterly report, pegged by Nasdaq for March 2, stands as a key formal checkpoint. Investors want updates on launch schedules, test outcomes, and any shifts in funding or partnerships that could alter the 2026 buildout projections.
