Scott Wisniewski at CES 2026 - Satellite meet smartphone the new era of connectivity

Recorded live at the final Space Track session of CES 2026, this panel explores how the satellite industry is making "no signal" a thing of the past. Hosted by Samantha, a manager at Novaspace, this discussion features executives from five major satellite operators—Globalstar, Lynk, Viasat, Iridium, and AST SpaceMobile—breaking down the rapid shift from pilot programs to full commercialization of Direct-to-Device (D2D) services.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Shift to Commercialization: How 2025 marked a turning point where the industry moved from beta testing to early commercial services and mass adoption strategies.

• Strategic Partnerships & M&A: The panelists discuss the massive partnerships shaping the landscape, including Globalstar’s work with Apple, Viasat’s "Equitas" joint venture with SpaceX, Lynk’s merger with Omnispace, and AST SpaceMobile’s deep integration with mobile network operators like Verizon and Vodafone.

• Service Capabilities: The evolution from basic SOS and messaging to true broadband. AST SpaceMobile highlights their "broadband first" approach using massive satellites, while Iridium and Viasat discuss the expansion of safety services, IoT, and automotive connectivity through standards-based solutions (3GPP).

• Spectrum & Regulation: Why spectrum is considered the "lifeblood" of the industry and the challenges of navigating global regulatory frameworks to ensure seamless roaming.

• The Competitive Landscape: Despite Starlink’s head start, the panel agrees this will not be a "winner-take-all" market. They discuss why regulator demand for competition and the sheer variety of use cases—from agriculture to aviation—will support a multi-operator ecosystem.

Meet the Panelists:

• Barbie (Globalstar): Leveraging 25+ years of mobile satellite service to support over half a billion consumer devices.

• Amy Mehlman (Lynk): Pioneering the "cell tower in space" concept for unmodified phones and leveraging multi-orbit infrastructure with SES.

• Kevin Cohen (Viasat): Utilizing the largest portfolio of spectrum to bring satellite connectivity to smartphones and automobiles.

• Susie McBride (Iridium): Focusing on global reliability, safety services, and the "End-to-End Direct" solution using standard chipsets.

• Scott Wisniewski (AST SpaceMobile): Executing a strategy to partner directly with mobile operators to provide cellular broadband to standard phones.

Tune in to understand how the convergence of satellite and cellular networks is redefining global connectivity in 2026 and beyond.