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AST SpaceMobile has announced plans to put its second next-generation satellite into orbit in about a month's time, indicating it will launch commercial direct-to-device services later this year.
A prediction of commercial services "in 2026" is still pretty broad. But nonetheless it is a step forward for a company that has been bigging up its direct-to-cell credentials since the start of this new wave of space-based comms, but has quietly watched a number of its rivals launch satellites and services over the past couple of years.
