Innovative design solutions from Cadence accelerate AST SpaceMobile’s mission to connect everyday smartphones worldwide with satellite technology

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) and AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones designed for both commercial and government applications, announced today their collaboration to advance AST SpaceMobile’s mission to eliminate connectivity gaps and connect people around the world with high-speed, space-based internet access.

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Cadence and AST SpaceMobile announced their collaboration to advance AST SpaceMobile’s mission to eliminate connectivity gaps and connect people around the world with high-speed, space-based internet access. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The two companies collaborated on the AST5000 ASIC, a custom, low-power architecture that is the cornerstone of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation BlueBird program. Designed to enable up to a tenfold improvement in processing bandwidth on each satellite, the AST5000 ASIC unlocks opportunities for seamless space-based cellular broadband services worldwide.

This innovative chip leverages the most advanced Cadence tools, flows and IP. The Cadence IP, which includes high-speed SerDes and other fundamental IP, enables optimal power and performance tradeoffs for more efficient system designs based on customers’ specific platform requirements, supporting a broad industrial temperature range. Additionally, the Cadence design enablement team achieved optimal power, performance and area (PPA) for the SoC, enhancing the efficiency and functionality of the AST5000 ASIC.

Another key aspect of this collaboration was the use of Cadence’s Palladium^® Emulation Platform. Palladium emulation helped validate and refine the IP integration to address and resolve issues during pre-silicon development, ensuring the integrity and performance of the final design.

“Cadence’s collaboration is instrumental in achieving our mission of delivering space-based cellular broadband connectivity,” said Huiwen Yao, chief technology officer at AST SpaceMobile. “Their industry-leading design solutions are fueling our innovation as we succeed at the complex engineering challenges of building a reliable and accessible space-based cellular broadband network.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with AST SpaceMobile on this groundbreaking project and contribute to technology that is redefining satellite and mobile capabilities,” said Boyd Phelps, senior vice president and general manager of the Silicon Solutions Group at Cadence. “Our extensive suite of robust, high-performance AI-driven EDA tools and IP solutions played a crucial role in the development of the AST5000 ASIC, providing a comprehensive solution spanning custom and digital design and verification.”

AST SpaceMobile’s mission to eliminate connectivity gaps and connect people around the world with high-speed, space-based internet access aligns with Cadence’s drive to enable faster and more efficient design cycles, thereby accelerating the path to a connected future. With its planned ASICs and 2,400 sq ft next-generation BlueBird satellite size, AST SpaceMobile expects to support up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth per satellite in the future, with data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps, enabling voice calls, full data, and video applications on the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible to everyday smartphones.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware, and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare. For 10 years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices, based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio, for both commercial and government use. Our engineers and space scientists are on a mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected. For more information, follow AST SpaceMobile on YouTube, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook. Watch this video for an overview of the SpaceMobile mission.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of AST SpaceMobile to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,” or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology.

These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside AST SpaceMobile’s control and are difficult to predict.

Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) expectations regarding AST SpaceMobile’s strategies and future financial performance, including AST’s future business plans or objectives, expected functionality of the SpaceMobile Service, anticipated timing of the launch of the Block 2 Bluebird satellites, anticipated demand and acceptance of mobile satellite services, prospective performance and commercial opportunities and competitors, the timing of obtaining regulatory approvals, ability to finance its research and development activities, commercial partnership acquisition and retention, products and services, pricing, marketing plans, operating expenses, market trends, revenues, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and AST’s ability to invest in growth initiatives; (ii) the negotiation of definitive agreements with mobile network operators relating to the SpaceMobile service that would supersede preliminary agreements and memoranda of understanding and the ability to enter into commercial agreements with other parties or government entities; (iii) the ability of AST SpaceMobile to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees and AST SpaceMobile’s responses to actions of its competitors and its ability to effectively compete; (iv) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (v) the possibility that AST SpaceMobile may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (vi) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against AST SpaceMobile; and (vii) other risks and uncertainties indicated in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including those in the Risk Factors section of AST SpaceMobile’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024.

AST SpaceMobile cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. AST SpaceMobile cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. For information identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors incorporated by reference into AST SpaceMobile’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024. AST SpaceMobile’s securities filings can be accessed on the EDGAR section of the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, AST SpaceMobile disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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