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Rakuten and AST SpaceMobile form Japanese satellite-to-smartphone joint venture

Rakuten and AST SpaceMobile plan to establish Rakuten AST to procure and operate satellites that connect directly to ordinary smartphones in Japan. Announced Nov. 9, 2026, the venture gives Rakuten 51% of voting rights and AST SpaceMobile’s Japanese subsidiary the remaining 49%.

Discovered 2026-11-09T09:35:35.615461-08:00 | 2026-11-09T09:35:35.615461-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The venture puts Rakuten and AST SpaceMobile into a shared structure to procure and operate satellites for direct-to-device service in Japan, linking satellite infrastructure with standard smartphones.
Rakuten holds 51% of voting rights and AST SpaceMobile’s Japanese subsidiary 49%, defining control of the planned venture and its role in the Japanese market.

Reported By

Via Satellite newspaceeconomy.ca