$ASTS You Danced on my grave on Monday. Now the Rakuten CEO has made you a fool.
Hey guys, [you may remember me from Sunday](https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1k3o8au/asts_dd_the_space_trade_will_cum/) when 800 people told me I was a moron for writing any number of words more than 3 (those words being "Calls & Up & ASTS"). Well you were right BUT the Rakuten CEO just made a crazy bull pitch for the company this morning. So I thought that maybe you would prefer to hear about ASTS from the richest man in Japan or some shit instead of an Adderall crazed lunatic. If nothing else, check the jacket. Straight gas. Anyways, here was the mans pitch:
1 - [Video Call ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuAWM5GaIsc&ab_channel=Buzzap%21)showcasing the service.
2 - [PR Announcement ](https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/press/2025/0423_01/?l-id=corp_news_press_20250423_01_lang_en)
3 - Service announcement below with credit to [surblue ](https://x.com/surblue)and [spacanpanman](https://x.com/spacanpanman)
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Regarding communications satellite services, I think of it as the Apollo program for the mobile industry.
https://preview.redd.it/hgottz9rgkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=eabea94d44a952f36f02b4caef360d8283a437fa
Rakuten Mobile is now in its fifth year, and we have somehow managed to reach 9 million households. We want to make even greater strides. We want to provide mobile services that make the impossible possible. Their entry has created competition, and I believe that it has lowered mobile phone charges in Japan by about 30%. Not only have prices fallen, but new services have also been offered.
We have partnered with AST to develop the service.
Rakuten Mobile has been working hard to build base stations. Our population coverage rate is 99.9%. I think we've come close to being on par with other companies. In addition to this, we will start in-flight roaming services from April 4th.
https://preview.redd.it/lpo4vybwgkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=040fdb7539fef83c25a063818d395ac59f74259d
We have partnerships with 18 airlines. No Wi-Fi password or login is required, and with some models of the 18 airlines, you will automatically connect to Rakuten Mobile. With most aircraft, you can connect to the Internet without doing anything. We will create new, epoch-making services like this one after another. This is the new dawn of the mobile industry's Apollo program.
Generally, all carriers cover 70% of the area, but 30% is not covered. There is no coverage within territorial waters. \[AST SpaceMobile\] Broadband has a 100% area coverage rate.
https://preview.redd.it/8vze8rxzgkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b8e7b059cc27e757de216c5c447939265fbf62d
We will also aim for maximum ease of connection. We will achieve low prices and high quality. We will also use AI and work to reduce power consumption, which is possible because we use software. In addition, we have announced that we will be doing this in earnest.
March 3, 2020. Prior to the launch of service in April, we signed a strategic partnership and technical cooperation agreement. Since then, major mobile carriers around the world have joined us as strategic partners.
https://preview.redd.it/y8mpeii5hkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=951f0035b1620fdf475821ac5c581741c5f21378
In addition to this, we have partnerships with around 40 other mobile phone companies, with Rakuten Mobile at the core. We will play a leadership role. The total number of end users of partner mobile phone companies reaches 3 billion. The key point is to enable people all over the world to be connected by satellite.
https://preview.redd.it/mt3zqj27hkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=2f6891d831bdf27b067912125597b4b575ced6fb
In April 2023, the world's first low-orbit satellite will be connected to commercially available smartphones, whether they are old Androids or iPhones. Two years have passed since then.
https://preview.redd.it/avxmi529hkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=610bb76426ea0af43312a5c4563265a430584aaa
We have successfully launched a gigantic satellite that is even larger than the first generation of satellites. Currently, five of them are in low earth orbit.
https://preview.redd.it/bujhowpahkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed7dd3df10960fa9488e2466720f3e4901b7c3b2
Rakuten Mobile has finally entered a concrete commercial schedule. It will be an exclusive service. The difference with other companies is that it will basically be satellite communications using the platinum band that is currently in use. One big point is that it will use the band used by regular mobile phones, rather than a frequency band dedicated to satellites.
Compared to our competitors, our satellites are extremely large. About 36 times larger. A gigantic 223 square meter satellite. After launch, it will open up like a folding screen. We will put about 50 low-orbit satellites on it and cover the whole of Japan, including its territorial waters. We will cover the world.
https://preview.redd.it/6vbb0vpdhkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=f500713d3e0af312ed65e36dbff479d61f315324
About 50% of the satellite's parts are made in Japan.
In comparison to other companies, our satellite is big, compared to 6.2 square meters for other companies. The service is not only for calls and text messages, but because it is broadband, you can also watch videos on YouTube, use social media, and make video communications. It uses the same frequency band as existing mobile services, so it can be used with almost all smartphones and LTE devices. The satellite broadcasts the LTE waves. It can be used with almost all Androids and almost all iPhones.We will aim to bring the national land coverage rate and area coverage rate to 100 percent. I think we will need to coordinate with the government as to how much of the territorial waters we should cover.
https://preview.redd.it/pn3l6sfhhkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=3b9327e92e641abd88c20512c90e87e859223866
Hokkaido in particular has a large area, so by introducing satellites, it will be possible to reach anywhere, whether it's in the middle of grasslands or mountainous areas. In addition to liability coverage, IoT can also be used to detect disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and heavy rains at an early stage, for the purpose of prevention. Drone services can be provided to remote islands, reducing damage caused by pests. There are many possibilities, not just communication between mobile phones and satellites, but constant communication between IoT devices and satellites.
https://preview.redd.it/rhbdkwdkhkwe1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a1069dabbeb1f77c5aefcb8bbc5fa1f1486f142
It can be used in places where there was no connection before, in cases where you are lost, in various disasters, in cases of large fires, and in other situations like that, and it can also be used as a means of communication during disasters. Japan has many remote islands, and some people say it is difficult to connect on those islands. This need will disappear. There will also be times when people are lost in mountainous areas, or when their ships are lost. The strongest satellite service will definitely make it possible to connect.
Right now we have five satellites, but we have decided to launch 50. Service will begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Space will fundamentally redefine social infrastructure for communications. Rakuten Mobile, through its subsidiary Rakuten Symphony, is the only company in the world to offer ORAN on this scale. We would like to offer it to mobile operators around the world.
A low-orbit satellite goes around the Earth in about an hour and a half. The reason why size is important is that mobile phones are extremely small. The batteries are also small. Because they communicate close to the brain, the power is weak. So if you want to connect via broadband, the antenna on the other side needs to be huge. This is a big difference with other companies. There are technical differences as well, but it is a big advantage.
It will also enable connectivity in times of disaster. There is a great need for fishermen to be able to connect while on their boats. There was an accident on a large tourist boat, so in that sense too, this will be a huge help. I think this business, including drones and the IoT, will continue to expand.
https://preview.redd.it/54fwlqlphkwe1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed9ff4ee417dcb5e7ac5636b3b61548afdb502a0
We will finally launch domestic services in the fourth quarter of next year. Rakuten's strongest satellite service. Real-time connections. Videoconferencing with Zoom and other similar services will be possible. Our practical trials have finally been successful. We will begin full-scale satellite services for Rakuten Mobile users. We believe this will be an epoch-making service, so we hope you will look forward to it.
Q&A
Will the service be launched globally first?
"We have strategic partners with seven major mobile operators, and 40 other companies. I don't know the timing, but I hope Rakuten Mobile will be the first. There won't be much of a gap."
Impact on earnings?
"Rakuten Mobile owns about 15% of AST. It has realized a considerable capital gain. At the same time, it has founding investor status among the seven partners. It has a contract for a very advantageous service. In particular, for corporate customers, it is extremely important to confirm the safety of customers when a disaster occurs. There is demand from corporations for BB to be able to connect anywhere, and there is also a great deal of interest in IoT needs and government needs."
Will it always connect?
"Other technologies have a weight margin, and the satellites are very large. We can get a good reception signal. We can get it even in rain or snow. Other technologies have a low chance of always connecting. The biggest difference is the power because it's big. The things you can see with a cheap telescope are different from those with a small one."
Did it take time to adjust to interference in the platinum band?
"We haven't decided which band to use for commercial purposes. We'll decide next year. Will it be B3 or platinum? AST has a smooth handover and can reduce the number of viewers. We've been tuning and reducing interference with Symphony software. We are building our own ORAN. What makes us different from other companies is that we decided to target this area from the beginning. That's the biggest difference. The first one is platinum, but the second one will support other frequency bands as well. We can use the same spectrum for terrestrial and satellite broadcasting. We use ORAN software, so I'm sure interference and handover issues will go extremely smoothly."
Can you always capture the satellites?
"There are 50 satellites, so there is pretty much coverage, 24 hours a day."
What about the cost?
"To be honest, we are still thinking about the cost. We would like to be able to connect to non-Rakuten Mobile subscribers in times of disasters and the like. There are various options for the service, such as whether it will be just simple SMS or a service that guarantees bandwidth. This is the first phase of the strongest satellite service, and we will be launching the second and third phases soon, so we will be able to make the speeds even faster.
What about international roaming?
"Ultimately, there will probably be 70 to 80 companies using AST's services, so it will depend on negotiations with them. Anyone can use the service in Africa. It uses frequency bands for mobile phones. It is basically licensed in each country, so whether Rakuten Mobile can use AST's services in Africa will depend on negotiations, and we would like to make it as available as possible."
How will service provision work? "Basically, users are connected without even realizing whether they are connected to a satellite or terrestrial network. If the terrestrial network goes out of range, there is a smooth handover to the satellite. What makes us different from other companies is that it's like having a giant base station in space. The satellite symbol doesn't even appear, and you connect to the satellite without even realizing it."
"It can cover the entire Japanese archipelago from north to south, and the same satellite constellation also covers Europe and the US mainland. 50 evenly-spaced satellites make one revolution every hour and a half."
