Rakuten and AST SpaceMobile Establish “Rakuten AST” Joint Venture to Build D2D Satellite Communications Network in Japan

Rakuten Group, Inc. and AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, agreed to establish Rakuten AST, Inc. on November 6, 2026 (Japan Standard Time)*1…