Bid Aims to Expand L-Band Into Direct-to-Device Connectivity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2025 — Ligado Networks, a Virginia-based satellite communications company, asked the Federal Communications Commission on Monday to convert part of its satellite spectrum into a direct-to-phone broadband service. The filing sought authority to add low-Earth orbit capacity to a mobile satellite license the company has spent more than a decade trying to develop.

The proposed system, SkyTerra Next, would use satellites built by AST SpaceMobile, a Texas company working on space-based cellular links, to reach smartphones across the United States.

Ligado said the network would run on more than 40 megahertz of L-Band spectrum, a mid-band range between 1 GigaHertz (GHz) and 2 GHz often used for satellite navigation and mobile services.

The company said those frequencies have been reorganized into contiguous channels that can operate beside terrestrial 5G networks.

Ligado now operates SkyTerra 1, a geostationary satellite launched in 2010 that provides emergency messaging and basic connectivity. The company said the added capacity would activate spectrum that has remained underused while the company faced years of regulatory disputes over interference concerns.

The filing would position Ligado to enter the direct-to-device market, a sector where companies such as SpaceX’s Starlink and T-Mobile are developing satellite links that back up mobile coverage. Ligado said its proposal would extend service in rural areas, maintain connectivity during natural disasters, and support enterprise applications that require uninterrupted communication.

The company now provides SOS and messaging services for millions of users in the United States and Canada. Broadband capability would expand that business to serve consumers, enterprises, and government agencies with higher-speed service that complements land-based mobile networks.