Australia is in the process of establishing a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) which will "require major mobile network operators, Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom (and any other providers designated in the future) to provide outdoor baseline mobile coverage across Australia on an equitable basis. This reform will benefit all Australians and in particular remote and regional communities, by expanding baseline mobile coverage, which will in turn, improve public safety by enabling connectivity to essential services and Triple Zero."
The idea that the TAM is small is a terrible take from the
$ASTS bears. NTN will be codified in to 6G, but before that occurs (and all cell phones eventually upgraded to 6G), things like the UOMO will contribute to the eventual 100% uptake of NTN on cellular plans.
Australia, more than other countries, is well served by a universal coverage requirement given its overall size and low population density. However, I think that Connectivity continues as a political issue in Countries across the world. More than fiber/FSS, direct to device connectivity democratizes access in low/medium SES countries, where this could be legislated in to a requirement.
The Australian UOMO would require "baseline mobile services— voice services and short message services (SMS)—where previously such services were not commercially viable."
"The committee notes that the delivery of this obligation is technology neutral, but submitters did indicate that it is only likely to be deliverable if D2D and LEOSat technology is available."
Which d2d provider will the MNOs pick if D2D is essentially legislated? Well, we already see that AST quotes 60 MNO partners to Starlinks 30. We have also seen that Tmobile is making moves to dissolve their partnership. And finally, Duetsche telecom (Tmobile parent) only committed to using Starlink Mobile over the 2GHz MSS spectrum, which appears in doubt with the release of European Commission's new authorisation proposal for mobile satellite services for the "EU's resilience and competitiveness."
AST Spacemobile is built from the start to mirror terrestrial cellular network with overlapping shells of lowband, midband, and c band. But equally important is the mutualistic business model to Starlinks thinly veiled customer grab.
H/T
@DaMadMonk_
aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus…