On Wednesday, Verizon announced it had signed a commercial agreement with the Texas-based AST SpaceMobile to supply satellite-to-phone connectivity starting next year. Terms were kept under wraps. But the agreement promises to give Verizon customers a new way to remain connected in cellular dead zones by tapping AST’s orbiting satellites, which have been designed to power voice and video calls, along with data. Currently, Verizon subscribers on certain phones can receive only limited satellite-powered texting through partner Skylo. Importantly, the deal solidifies Verizon’s relationship with AST after the two initially announced a “strategic partnership” last year. The partnership calls for Verizon to commit $100 million while giving AST access to a slice of its radio spectrum to power the satellite-to-phone services. Wednesday’s agreement signals that Verizon is going all in on AST, even though it’s still months away from offering commercial service to users. AT&T is also bettin...