First 5G satellite voice call is to Europe
The first 5G voice call on a standard smartphone via a satellite was to Europe.
The first 5G voice call on AST SpaceMobile’s satellite with Vodafone also saw a new record data rate of 14 Mbits/s.
The call over the BlueWalker 3 test satellite with Vodafone, AT&T and Nokia comes ahead of the launch of the first five commercial satellites in Q1 2024 using chips from UK chip designer EnSilica.
The call was placed from Maui, Hawaii, USA, to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid, Spain, using AT&T spectrum over BlueWalker 3 using an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone located near Hana, HI, in a wireless dead zone. In a separate test, the company broke its previous space-based cellular broadband data session record by achieving a download rate of approximately 14 Mbit/s
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“Once again, we have achieved a significant technological advancement that represents a paradigm shift in access to information. Since the launch of BlueWalker 3, we have achieved full compatibility with phones made by all major manufacturers and support for 2G, 4G LTE, and now 5G.” said Abel Avellan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AST SpaceMobile.
“Making the first successful 5G cellular broadband connections from space directly to mobile phones is yet another significant advancement in telecommunications AST SpaceMobile has pioneered. We are more confident than ever that space-based cellular broadband can help transform internet connectivity across the globe by filling in gaps and connecting the unconnected.”
“Vodafone is striving to close the mobile usage gap for millions of people across Europe and Africa. By making the world’s first space-based 5G call to Europe, we have taken another important step in realizing that ambition. We’re excited to be at the forefront of space technology through our partnership with AST SpaceMobile,” said Margherita Della Valle, CEO of UK operator Vodafone Group.
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We congratulate AST SpaceMobile on their latest incredible achievement in completing a 5G voice call from space. While we are of course proud that our AirScale portfolio is playing a key role in underpinning these networks, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture that space-based cellular broadband can provide crucial connectivity to underserved communities around the world. At Nokia, we believe that everyone should have access to universal broadband services, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with AST SpaceMobile on this game-changing initiative.”
AST SpaceMobile has more than 2,600 patent and patent-pending claims for its technology and built state-of-the-art facilities in Midland, Texas, which collectively span 185,000 square feet.
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