> Is Lynk a competitor?
Yes and no. On a theoretical level, YES as they want to offer the same type of service (data connectivity from a satellite to your unmodified cell phone). But on a practical level, NO as their tech only allows for 2G speeds (whereas AST will offer 4G/5G+ speeds). Also on a business level, NO as Lynk does not have any commercial partners atm (AST already has multiple MOUs with existing large carriers, e.g. AT&T, Vodafone, Telefonica, etc.) despite wanting to target consumers.
\> Is SpaceX’s Starlink a competitor?
Yes and no. YES because there is a partial overlap in customer base, e.g. in areas where there are currently ZERO network coverage whatsoever (like some areas of rural USA). But also NO because the exact type of service they offer is different: Starlink offers highspeed HOME broadband connectivity (e.g. think Comcast) whereas SpaceMobile offers highspeed MOBILE broadband connectivity (e.g. think AT&T). The same way you likely pay for both a home internet bill AND a phone bill.
> Are OneWeb/Telesat/Amazon’s Project Kuiper/etc competitors?
Yes and no, in the same way as Starlink. Like Starlink, these are wireless backhaul systems designed for providing broadband internet from satellites in space through specialized GROUND terminals. They directly compete with Starlink, not AST SpaceMobile. Think Comcast vs Xfinity vs CenturyLink. Not Comcast vs AT&T.
\> Is Omnispace a competitor?
Likely no. Omnispace’s current focus is in military and enterprise/IoT applications rather than commercial. They also will be using their own wireless spectrum bands (2GHz S band) which is incompatible with current consumer cellphones. Not too familiar with the tech, but they’ll require specialized hardware from what I can tell.
\> Is Apple-Fi a competitor?
We don’t know yet, but probably YES. If Apple does design their future iPhones to allow for direct connectivity to their own proprietary LEO satellite’s, this would eat a sizeable chunk of AST’s potential customer base (e.g. all new iPhone users). But at the same time, there is minimal public info on this (no timeline, no tech details, no patents, and only a few FCC filings about the satellite launch plans and not much more) so this is entirely just speculation here. Do keep in mind that this will only affect the richer regions of the world where iPhones are prolific and people buy the newest iPhone models. In the poorer regions of the world where AST will be targeting first, most customers will likely either be using cheaper Android phones or old iPhones.
> Is Iridium a competitor?
lol. Were horse-drawn carriages competitors to steam engine trains?
Will update this post if more info/competitors are pointed out in the comments threads.
\~Keripo
Originally posted on Reddit
