AST SpaceMobile Stock Rises 2% as Japan Approves Rakuten Satellite Service Plan

According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, a subcommittee recommended allowing low-earth-orbit satellites to connect directly to smartphones via the 700 MHz band on June 24. AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumped 2% overnight following the approval, which clears the path for Rakuten to launch direct-to-cell satellite services by year-end. Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani announced the company will form a satellite joint venture with AST SpaceMobile in 2026 with equal stakes, with limited services expected to launch in 2026 and nationwide coverage targeted in fiscal 2027.

Meanwhile, AST's BlueBird 11, 12 and 13 satellites are scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral in early August. The next-generation BlueBird satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the data speeds of the current Block 1 satellites, which recently achieved 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.