$ASTS: Why the Telco JV Is Really Aimed at Starlink

<p>AST SpaceMobile ASTS: Anpanman breaks down the AT&amp;T, Verizon, T-Mobile telco JV and B. Riley&#39;s $85 to $65 downgrade.</p><p><br></p><p>Anpanman digs into the newly announced joint venture between AT&amp;T, Verizon and T-Mobile and explains why he believes it squarely fits AST SpaceMobile and was formed to counter Starlink. He covers the pooling of scarce low-band spectrum, open standards versus proprietary networks, the regulatory path through the DOJ and FCC, and why direct-to-cell competitors like Amazon and Iridium don&#39;t fit the JV&#39;s model.</p><p><br></p><p>Next, Anpanman reviews the new Chief Commercial Officer hire, Wayne Thorson, and goes point by point through the B. Riley downgrade of ASTS stock. Topics include satellite count and capex, spectrum needs in Europe and the US, GRAIN Management&#39;s 800 MHz spectrum, the 1.6 GHz FCC push, and pricing pressure from the Viasat and Space42 Equitas JV.</p><p><br></p><p>The episode wraps with a live Q&amp;A covering Iridium&#39;s FCC opposition, New Glenn launch concerns, the J-LEO and Rakuten JV, and Anpanman&#39;s speculation on the Bluebird 14, 15 and 16 Falcon 9 launch window.</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>00:46 Telco JV Announcement Overview</p><p>02:20 JV Built to Counter Starlink</p><p>06:43 Pooling Low-Band Spectrum</p><p>10:35 Open Competition and Regulatory Language</p><p>14:23 Open Standards and Bent-Pipe Architecture</p><p>17:37 Starlink, Amazon, and Iridium Proprietary Networks</p><p>21:12 Buyer Cartel Fears and Pricing</p><p>28:20 DOJ Second Request and Timeline</p><p>29:26 New CCO Wayne Thorson</p><p>37:05 B. Riley Downgrade Breakdown</p><p>42:39 Spectrum: Europe, GRAIN, and 1.6 GHz</p><p>50:42 Equitas and Pricing Pressure</p><p>59:40 Starlink Competition and Distribution</p><p>1:04:48 Q&amp;A: IoT, Catalysts, and Acquisition</p><p>1:09:12 Iridium FCC Opposition</p><p>1:13:18 New Glenn Launch Questions</p><p>1:19:48 J-LEO and Rakuten JV</p><p>1:24:51 Bluebirds 14-16 Launch Speculation</p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ Catch all episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5u6rTxenTvGw4STNbjswAk</p><p>👋 Connect with the host on X: https://x.com/spacanpanman</p><p>👕 Get the Gear: https://spacemob.printify.me/</p><p><br></p><p>#astspacemobile #TelcoJV #BRiley</p>