$ASTS Star Wars 2025:
Musk vs. ASTS - the battle for the future of satellite communication!
- This story feels like another chapter in the "David vs. Goliath" series, but this time it's happening in space.
On one side, Elon Musk, the man with his cash monster and thousands of satellites hovering above us for years.
On the other side, a small but audacious startup named AST SpaceMobile, with technology that might make Musk sweat.
Regular phone - reception everywhere, no antennas, no tricks!
They want to do something quite crazy - enable any smartphone to connect directly to a satellite.
No need for reception stations, no cumbersome antennas, no special software updates - simple, it works.
No reception?
Irrelevant. Even if you are in the middle of the ocean or on the summit of Everest - you are connected.
Where did it start?
A group of NASA veterans who decided to change the rules of the game in satellite communication. They didn't just dream - they also made sure to protect their invention with 3,200 patents (!) and ensure no one could copy what they do.
Smart business model - ASTS doesn't need to chase customers!
Instead of wasting time and money on marketing and customer acquisition, they made a brilliant move: signed long-term contracts with communication giants like AT&T, Verizon, and others.
The meaning?
2.8 billion potential customers already connected to existing networks, and $1 billion in liquid capital in the bank.
Once the service is activated, communication providers will simply market it as a satellite package directly to existing subscribers, and ASTS will enjoy the revenue without spending capital on marketing.
And the money?
will start flowing
No investor dilution, no marketing wars, just smart business.
But then Musk arrived... SpaceX's Starlink already provides fast satellite internet anywhere in the world. But until now - it required a special reception station with an antenna and a Wi-Fi router.
Musk pulls out his weapon - but gets stuck along the way.. When Musk realized that ASTS was about to enter the market with technology that would render Starlink obsolete, he started moving his pieces. After all, Musk is not just an entrepreneur - he is a business predator. If there's competition, he won't let it breathe for a moment.
So how did it start?
At first - combative statements. A few months ago, Musk started releasing statements that phones would be able to connect directly to Starlink satellites.
Suddenly ASTS looked like a small fish swimming in a shark tank...
But such statements, as we know him, were mainly intended to create buzz and confuse competitors and investors.
Is it really possible?
At this stage, it seems - he had nothing in hand.
Stage 2 - launch of "experimental" satellites. In December, SpaceX launched a new batch of Starlink satellites, including satellites with components designed to test direct communication to phones.
- When the move was announced, I started to realize that Musk wasn't exactly going to get ahead of ASTS and end the story..
And this is what is called "reality slaps Musk in the face."
- Because it actually turns out that the new Starlink satellites still do not support direct connection to regular phones.
But the more important question here -
How did things develop further?
Does Musk really have the small startup by the throat?
All the details in the next post..