AT&T Hands Phone Calls Off to Satellite in Test
The test is a first step toward satellite broadband on standard phones, with initial coverage targeted before the end of 2026.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Telecommunications
AT&T and AST SpaceMobile completed a handoff test that moved a live connection from AT&T's cellular network to AST's satellite network outside Granite Falls, Washington, on Oct. 21. The companies called it the first successful transfer of this kind between a terrestrial cellular network and a direct-to-device satellite network, to their knowledge, and the development is at the research-test stage rather than a commercial service.
Why it matters
The test is a step toward phones switching between ground towers and satellites without a dropped call, the core requirement for satellite broadband that works in everyday handsets. The companies did not say whether the test connection carried voice, text, or data, and gave no measured interruption, so the result shows the handoff can occur but not yet how seamless it is.
The companies report a single test handoff with no published latency or interruption figures, so the performance margin is unquantified. Ericsson's technology is designed to shorten transitions from seconds to milliseconds, but the test itself did not report a measured result at that scale.
The players
AT&T
A major U.S. wireless carrier that supplied the terrestrial cellular network for the handoff test and holds a commercial agreement with AST running through 2030.
AST SpaceMobile
A satellite company building a space-based cellular broadband network intended to connect directly to standard phones, which supplied the satellite side of the test.
Ericsson
A Swedish telecommunications equipment maker that furnished radio and core technology and network automation for AT&T's side of the handoff.
Nokia
A Finnish telecommunications firm that provided radio-access technology and mobility software for AST's space-based network.
The details
AT&T's terrestrial network handed a live connection over to AST's satellite network, which is the core mechanism needed for phones to move between ground and space coverage. Ericsson supplied radio and core technology and network automation for AT&T, while Nokia provided radio-access technology and mobility software for AST's space-based network. Handoffs of this type must keep a call or session intact while the serving network changes, which is why the transition speed matters for real-world use.
Timeline
2024: AT&T and AST announced their commercial agreement to provide space-based broadband directly to everyday cellphones.
Oct. 20: AST said it was targeting initial, intermittent coverage before the end of 2026.
Oct. 21, 11:15 a.m. ET: The handoff test was completed outside Granite Falls, Washington.
Nov. 2, 2:28 p.m. ET: AST shares traded at $37.20, down 9.2%.
The Tech Race
The test positions AT&T and AST within the broader push to connect standard phones directly to satellites, a race in which the partners are targeting initial intermittent coverage in five countries before the end of 2026. The companies frame the result as a first, to their knowledge, but the field-level comparison against other direct-to-device efforts is not established in the source.
Customers will not see satellite handoffs on their phones from this test alone, as the companies have targeted only initial, intermittent coverage before the end of 2026 and gave no pricing or device requirements. Beta services under real-world conditions are expected as the next phase, but timing beyond the 2026 target is not announced.
The takeaway
The result shows a live connection can change networks, but the companies have not yet published interruption figures. Watch for AST's beta rollout and any measured handoff latency that confirms whether the transfer is seamless enough for voice and data.
What happens next
AST has targeted initial, intermittent coverage before the end of 2026 in the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, with beta services under real-world conditions expected to follow.
Further reading
For background on how these networks are built and regulated, explore more Telecommunications coverage.
