- Japan’s Radio Regulatory Council endorsed the 700 MHz framework for AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellite system, with final commercial regulations still pending.
- Rakuten plans an equal-stake joint venture with AST SpaceMobile in 2026, targeting Japanese service rollout by late 2026 and nationwide coverage by FY27.
- Japan is expected to provide ¥150 billion, or about $926 million, in subsidies for the Rakuten-led network as an economic-security initiative.
- ASTS trading remained volatile: MarketBeat reported a 5.6% decline to $55.80 amid manufacturing delays, launch-provider dependence, competition from SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile, cash burn and quarterly misses.
Quotes
“Japan's Radio Regulatory Council has endorsed a 700 MHz direct-to-smartphone satellite framework”
“Final regulations are still pending”