Starlink

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

The plan repurposes more than 40 megahertz for low-Earth orbit broadband.

Akul Saxena

Dec 9, 2025 — 1 min read

Photo of Doug Smith, CEO of Ligado Networks

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.

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Starlink Virginia Texas Spectrum L-Band D2D AST SpaceMobile Ligado Networks Canada T-Mobile LEO

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