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Viasat’s Inmarsat, Ligado and AST SpaceMobile Forge $568 Million L-Band Spectrum Settlement

Funded by a $550 million AST SpaceMobile loan, the settlement grants AST 45 MHz of L-band spectrum, secures a $568 million payment schedule pending court approval, ending Ligado’s lawsuit against Inmarsat.

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Overview

  • The binding term sheet announced June 13 remains subject to U.S. bankruptcy court approval and relies on AST SpaceMobile’s $550 million loan to bankrupt Ligado.
  • Under the pact Ligado will resume quarterly payments of about $16 million to Inmarsat starting September 30, 2025 with a 3% annual increase, plus lump sums of $420 million on October 31, 2025 and $100 million by March 31, 2026.
  • AST SpaceMobile gains rights to 45 MHz of spectrum from Ligado, including 40 MHz of L-band Mobile Satellite Services bandwidth and 5 MHz in the 1670–1675 MHz band for direct-to-smartphone services.
  • The agreement immediately stays Ligado’s lawsuit against Inmarsat and provides for its dismissal once all settlement conditions are fulfilled.
  • Viasat plans to deploy the $568 million to reduce near-term debt, bolster its long-term capital structure and reinforce its role in the evolving mobile satellite services ecosystem.