On November 4, 2026, Light Reading reported that AT&T said it had completed its first call handoff from its cellular network to AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-device (D2D) satellite network. A handoff transfers a connection between networks. The report described the milestone as a test and said beta would be the next step before commercial service.
How the reported handoff worked
Light Reading reported that AT&T’s network used Ericsson radio and core technology, while AST SpaceMobile’s satellite network used Nokia radio-access technology and mobility software. The test also used automation to speed up the handoff.
AST SpaceMobile’s video places the test in Washington
In a video published November 2, AST SpaceMobile places the field test in Granite Falls, Washington, near the edge of terrestrial coverage. Engineers describe a satellite picking up a phone’s connection from the terrestrial network and say engineering logs confirmed the transition. The video also shows a phone’s diagnostic screen during the test.
Rakuten described a separate service goal
Rakuten Mobile’s Hyungmin Ha said the company aimed to offer commercial D2D service with AST SpaceMobile “in the near future,” without naming a launch date. Ha also said satellite passes then provided four to six minutes of connectivity, limiting tests of continuous video calls. That duration refers to Rakuten’s service context, not AT&T’s Washington test.
Separately, Light Reading reported that AST SpaceMobile had 13 satellites in orbit at the time and targeted 45 in early 2027, a number the publication described as needed for continuous US coverage.
Earlier testing involved BlueWalker 3
In a video published April 4, 2024, AST SpaceMobile described earlier AT&T work related to FirstNet, including testing with BlueWalker 3 and laboratory simulations involving preemption, mission-critical push-to-talk and video. That earlier work was separate from the reported call handoff.
