AST SpaceMobile shares fell 11.33% Monday, coinciding with a Washington Post report of possible SpaceX talks with EchoStar that point to a new route into U.S. wireless service.
Historical pricing attributed to S&P Global Market Intelligence shows AST closed at $36.33, down $4.64 from the previous close. The stock touched $36.08 during the session and ended 72.9% below its May 28 high of $133.86.
The Washington Post reported that SpaceX and EchoStar had discussed in recent months either a Boost Mobile purchase or access to its network, citing two people familiar with the talks. The newspaper also said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk met EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen last month. No new deal was announced; the Post said EchoStar declined to comment and SpaceX did not respond.
The reported discussions are separate from a commercial arrangement announced in 2025. That plan would use EchoStar’s cloud-native 5G core to connect Boost customers with the next generation of Starlink Direct to Cell service.
EchoStar’s June 30 filing described Boost as a hybrid mobile operator, with secondary service arrangements involving AT&T and T-Mobile. It said customer traffic had been shifted from EchoStar’s own 5G network to AT&T by Nov. 15, 2025. The Post said major U.S. carriers had turned down earlier SpaceX requests to use their networks and that transferring Boost’s carrier leases may require their approval. Drew Cupps, a Polen Capital portfolio manager, told the Post carriers “are right to be spooked and agitated at the same time.”
AST’s approach relies on mobile-operator partnerships. In an Oct. 20 release, the company said more than 60 operator partners cover over 3 billion subscribers, and it aims to begin intermittent coverage before year-end in the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
AST’s May announcement targeted about 45 satellites in orbit during 2026. An Aug. 10 filing moved that milestone to early 2027, citing launch availability. The filing said BlueBird 7 was placed in an orbit below plan in April and later de-orbited; AST expected a replacement launch under its contract. The satellite-count target is separate from the company’s coverage goal.
Reuters reported that Piper Sandler downgraded AST to Neutral from Overweight on Oct. 13 and cut its price target to $54 from $98, citing launch pace and SpaceX’s ambitions. Investing.com reported on Oct. 12 that Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and kept its $93 target.
AST’s investor relations site lists third-quarter results for Monday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. EST (22:00 UTC).
