Vodafone Group Plc Vodafone & Rakuten lead investors in SpaceMobile
03 Marzo 2020 - 01:00AM
RNS Non-Regulatory
TIDMVOD
Vodafone Group Plc
03 March 2020
RAKUTEN AND VODAFONE INVEST IN AST & SCIENCE'S SPACE VENTURE
TO REACH
MORE PEOPLE, DEVICES AND PLACES WITH MOBILE COVERAGE
-- AST & Science's space-based network will be the first to connect
directly to 4G - and in the future 5G - smartphones without
any need for specialised satellite hardware.
-- Other investors include: American Tower; Cisneros; Samsung
NEXT; and founder Abel Avellan.
-- The new investment brings the total capital raised by AST &
Science to US$128 million.
TOKYO, LONDON, TEXAS - March 3, 2020 - Rakuten and Vodafone have
become the lead investors in a venture to extend mobile coverage to
more people and devices across the planet, using the first mobile
broadband network that will be broadcast from space.
Branded SpaceMobile, the low-Earth-orbit (LEO), low-latency
satellite network from AST & Science will be the first in the
world to connect directly to standard smartphones. The company
holds an extensive patent and IP portfolio for its ground and space
technologies.
"SpaceMobile will be particularly transformative to the growing
US$1 trillion annual global mobile market because it will eliminate
the coverage gaps faced by today's five billion mobile subscribers
moving in and out of connectivity every day. It will also help the
world's most under-served communities to access the latest mobile
services much sooner than predicted, helping more people to access
the digital economy," said Abel Avellan, AST & Science chairman
and CEO.
AST & Science will initially offer 4G services to partner
networks globally, with 5G delivered in the future. The SpaceMobile
network will enable seamless roaming to and from terrestrial
cellular networks at comparable data rates without any need for
specialised satellite hardware.
In addition to its investment in AST & Science, Vodafone has
agreed to a strategic partnership and will contribute technical,
operational and regulatory expertise in support of the global
deployment of SpaceMobile.
Nick Read, CEO, Vodafone Group, said: "At Vodafone we want to
ensure everyone benefits from a digital society - that no-one is
left behind. We believe SpaceMobile is uniquely placed to provide
universal mobile coverage, further enhancing our leading network
across Europe and Africa - especially in rural areas and during a
natural or humanitarian disaster - for customers on their existing
smartphones."
"AST & Science's SpaceMobile venture is a perfect fit for
us," said Mickey Mikitani, chairman and CEO of Rakuten. "Our
investment is part of our broader strategy to become a leading
mobile network operator in Japan and a global solution provider to
markets around the world. Rakuten's strategic investment with AST
& Science has the potential to support our efforts to connect
users across Japan through mobile innovation, expanding national
coverage from metropolitan to remote areas and bolstering the
network in times of natural disaster."
AST & Science successfully tested its SpaceMobile technology
aboard the BlueWalker 1 satellite, launched in April 2019, and has
been further validating the technology following that initial
flight.
The new investment brings the total capital raised by AST &
Science to US$128 million, including the early investments from
Cisneros and founder Abel Avellan. Barclays served as financial
advisor to the company.
- ends -
Media Contacts:
Vodafone Group
Media Relations
www.vodafone.com/media/contact
For AST & Science
Scott Cianciulli
The Plunkett Group
(212) 739-6753
scott@theplunkettgroup.com
For Rakuten
Corporate Communications Department
Rakuten, Inc.
global-pr@mail.rakuten.com
(+81) 50-5817-1104
About AST & Science
AST & Science is building the first, and only, broadband
cellular network in space to operate directly with standard,
unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent
portfolio. Our team of engineers and space scientists are on a
mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today's five
billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the
billions who remain unconnected. Learn more at www.ast-science.com
.
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet
services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and
society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten
has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital
content and communications to approximately 1.4 billion members
around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 20,000 employees, and
operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit
https://global.rakuten.com/corp/ .
About Vodafone Group
Vodafone Group is one of the world's leading telecoms and
technology service providers. We have extensive experience in
connectivity, convergence and the Internet of Things, as well as
championing mobile financial services and digital transformation in
emerging markets.
Vodafone Group has mobile operations in 24 countries, partners
with mobile networks in 42 more, and fixed broadband operations in
19 markets. As of 31 December 2019, Vodafone Group had
approximately 625 million mobile customers, 27 million fixed
broadband customers and 22 million TV customers, including all of
the customers in Vodafone's joint ventures and associates. For more
information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.
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