The Telus headquarters in downtown Vancouver. Telus and AST SpaceMobile have signed a commercial agreement to offer satellite-based broadband services.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Telus Corp. T-T is taking an equity stake in Texas-based satellite manufacturer AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ASTS-Q, and plans to use its technology to deliver space-based services to its mobility customers.
Telus and AST SpaceMobile have signed an agreement to offer satellite-based broadband services, which will allow Telus customers to send texts, make calls and use data where a terrestrial network does not exist using their smartphones. The companies are aiming to launch the service in late 2026.
As part of its agreement, Telus said it will invest in ground-based satellite infrastructure and become an equity shareholder in AST SpaceMobile, “reinforcing the long-term alignment between the two companies,” Telus said in a release Tuesday evening.
The company did not disclose the size of its equity investment or how much it expects to spend on new infrastructure. Telus could not immediately be reached for comment.
In the release, Telus Networks’ chief technology officer Nazim Benhadid said the company is “eliminating connectivity gaps across Canada and ensuring our customers in even the most remote corners of the country can stay connected.”
Telus’s rivals, Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T and Bell Canada parent company BCE Inc. BCE-T, both announced similar deals last year.
Rogers has partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink, and BCE is also working with AST SpaceMobile. Bell first started its partnership with AST SpaceMobile in 2021 with an initial investment through the telecom’s venture arm.
AST SpaceMobile reported earnings on Monday for its fourth quarter and 2025 financial year. In 2025, the company raised over US$3.5-billion in capital and reported revenue of over US$70-million. However, it reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders of US$342-million.
The company said it expects revenue to grow in 2026 ahead of the company activating its commercial services, supported by a backlog of mobile-network operator partner revenue and U.S. government contract milestones.
“Operationally, we plan to ramp our satellite-manufacturing efforts and launch cadence this year, while we’re rapidly accelerating our government and commercial businesses,” said Abel Avellan, the company’s founder, chair and chief executive officer, speaking to analysts on Monday.
Editor’s note: This story previously stated that Rogers and Bell did not own equity stakes in their satellite partners, Starlink and AST SpaceMobile. In fact, Bell made an investment in AST SpaceMobile in 2021.