AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) has begun network integration testing activities across multiple European countries in collaboration with Vodafone, Orange, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, and Vodafone Ukraine, according to a company press release.

The testing is underway in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Ukraine, subject to regulatory approvals. The program uses ground infrastructure provided by Satellite Connect Europe, a Luxembourg-headquartered joint venture between AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone, designed to provide carrier-neutral gateway access for mobile network operators across Europe.

The integration testing is focused on connecting standard, unmodified smartphones to AST SpaceMobile's space-based cellular broadband network using standard 3GPP technologies, without requiring specialized hardware, software, or applications.

"Working alongside many of the world's leading mobile network operators, we are advancing activities across multiple countries to become a seamless complementary layer of connectivity alongside existing terrestrial networks," said Chris Ivory, Chief Commercial Officer of AST SpaceMobile.

The company states its Block 1 BlueBird satellites have achieved peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones. Its next-generation satellites, which feature phased arrays of approximately 2,400 square feet deployed in low Earth orbit, are designed to deliver nearly double those peak data speeds.

AST SpaceMobile states it works with nearly 60 mobile network operators globally, representing over 3 billion existing subscribers. The company holds approximately 3,900 patent and patent-pending claims related to its satellite technology.