Vodafone and AST to Launch Sat Service in 2026

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile will launch commercial services from their joint venture satellite business in 2026. They announced there is interest in using the service from across Europe and selected Luxembourg as the company’s headquarters.

The companies first announced plans at MWC Barcelona 2025 to create SatCo, a jointly owned satellite business serving MNOs in Europe with a direct-to-mobile service, to provide services to benefit European citizens, businesses, and the public sector. In a statement providing an update on progress, the companies revealed SatCo would be based in Luxembourg, with the pair pointing to the country’s strong digital credentials and strategic location to provide the ideal platform to exclusively distribute AST SpaceMobile’s satellite service to European operators under a single turnkey arrangement.

It also stated it had received expressions of interest from mobile operators covering 21 EU member states and other European countries about using the service, with commercial launches expected from next year. Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile added that they are in close contact with the Luxembourg government, key European policymakers, EU member states, and industry stakeholders to advance national and European digital sovereignty by promoting a cohesive space strategy. SatCo will forge private and public sector partnerships to boost Europe’s direct-to-mobile space-based broadband connectivity.