AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS) stock surged 5.11% in pre-market trading on Friday, driven by positive regulatory developments as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the company Special Temporary Authority (STA) to test its first five commercial BlueBird satellites with unmodified smartphones on AT&T and Verizon's networks in the United States.

This approval represents a pivotal milestone for AST SpaceMobile as it advances towards delivering its innovative space-based cellular broadband connectivity solution. The company plans to install five gateways in the U.S. and accelerate its path to commercial activity, starting with testing services on AT&T and Verizon's networks. The FCC's decision paves the way for AST SpaceMobile to conduct trials of its space-based network, which aims to provide seamless cellular broadband connectivity directly to mobile devices without the need for specialized software or hardware.

AST SpaceMobile has secured strategic investments from major mobile network operators, including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Google, among others. The company has agreements with over 45 mobile network operators globally, representing approximately 2.8 billion existing subscribers. The orbiting Block 1 BlueBird satellites are designed to support non-continuous cellular broadband service across the United States and in select markets globally, targeting approximately 100% nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells in the United States.