AST SpaceMobile names Mezzasalma country manager in Brazil

AST SpaceMobile has appointed Rafael Mezzasalma as its country manager in Brazil, establishing leadership in a market that the company designated as a strategic focus for its direct-to-device satellite services. Mezzasalma served until May 2026 as country manager for Nokia in Brazil, where he worked for 14 years, following earlier roles at ZTE and Nortel.

The company recently secured regulatory authorization to operate on the S-band in Brazil and has submitted the first Brazilian application for a non-geostationary satellite constellation. AST SpaceMobile is currently deploying terrestrial gateways in the country and plans to announce its first local partnerships with telecommunications operators soon.

AST SpaceMobile operates a low Earth orbit constellation using large satellites with antenna surfaces of nearly 300 square meters. The system transmits data directly to standard mobile phones at speeds comparable to 4G connections, aiming to help telecom operators extend cellular coverage into areas unserved by terrestrial networks.