New Zealand operator 2degrees sealed a deal with AST SpaceMobile to deliver broadband data service directly to smartphones using satellites in 2026, an agreement struck nearly two years after it forged a connectivity contract with Lynk Global.

In a statement, 2degrees CEO Mark Callander noted excitement over the move straight to broadband services.

Callender explained this is significant because AST SpaceMobile is “not laddering through text, then voice, then data”.

He emphasised the importance of understanding the technology’s capabilities in the local environment, adding it is taking a “measured approach” and “working through regulatory processes and real-world testing over the next 12 months”.

The operator plans to invest in a dedicated ground station.

AST SpaceMobile CCO Chris Ivory said its offering is “designed to connect seamlessly with standard, unmodified mobile phones, bridging coverage gaps in remote and underserved areas”.

The company aims to offer the first commercial direct-to-device service in Europe later this year.

Its first five commercial LEO satellites went into orbit in September 2024 and are currently being used in beta tests by Verizon and AT&T.