Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have conducted what they claim is the world’s first smartphone-to-satellite video call in an area with no mobile coverage. The call was made from a remote mountainous region in Wales by Vodafone engineer Rowan Chesmar to CEO Margherita Della Valle in Newbury, UK.
The call used AST SpaceMobile’s Bluebird satellites and Vodafone’s new space-to-land gateway, which connects satellite signals to its terrestrial network. UK astronaut Tim Peake joined Della Valle for the unveiling of the gateway.
Vodafone states its low Earth orbit satellite service is the only one offering direct 4G and 5G broadband to standard smartphones. It plans to launch commercial direct-to-device services in Europe later this year.
AST SpaceMobile, competing with SpaceX and Lynk Global, has achieved multiple milestones in space-based broadband, including the first 5G satellite call.
Source: Mobile World Live
