In a recent press release, a company headquartered in Texas has proudly announced an extraordinary milestone in the field of telecommunications.
On September 8th, 2023, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. accomplished a groundbreaking achievement by demonstrating their advanced space-based 5G connectivity technology. They achieved this feat by initiating a call from an unaltered Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone located in Maui, Hawaii, connecting it with a Vodafone engineer situated in Madrid, Spain.
This monumental breakthrough holds the potential to transform the way we communicate, bringing people across the globe closer together through the promise of improved connectivity. Earlier this year, the company garnered significant attention for their successful testing of satellite technology, enabling the transmission of 4G signals to smartphones.
AST SpaceMobile’s most recent achievement stands out due to its origin in a wireless dead zone, underscoring the potential of space-based networks to address connectivity challenges, particularly in remote and underserved regions.
Central to this extraordinary accomplishment is BlueWalker 3, AST SpaceMobile’s experimental satellite, which happens to be the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit. This satellite, utilizing the AT&T spectrum, facilitated a smooth and uninterrupted transfer of both voice and data between Earth and the vast cosmos.
Advancing Space-Enabled Connectivity
This impressive accomplishment represents a significant advancement in AST SpaceMobile’s journey, following their previous achievement of conducting the world’s inaugural space-based voice calls utilizing ordinary, unaltered smartphones. Back in June, they achieved initial download speeds that surpassed 10 Mbps.
The company’s extensive testing initiative has now expanded to encompass a wide range of communication capabilities.
This includes voice calls, 4G video calls, and the latest addition of 5G connections. These 5G connections enable not only fundamental voice calls and text messaging but also support various data-intensive activities such as internet browsing, file downloads, messaging applications, and video streaming, all on standard mobile devices.
Abel Avellan, the Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, expressed his enthusiasm by saying, “Once again, we’ve reached a major technological milestone that signifies a revolutionary change in access to information.
Since the launch of BlueWalker 3, we’ve achieved complete compatibility with smartphones produced by leading manufacturers, and now, we provide support for 2G, 4G LTE, and the latest addition, 5G.”
He further emphasized, “Our confidence in the transformative potential of space-based cellular broadband to enhance global internet connectivity, especially for those still lacking access, has never been stronger.”
A Worldwide Initiative to Enhance Connectivity
The company’s joint initiatives with major industry leaders like Vodafone, AT&T, and Nokia have been instrumental in pushing the limits of space-based cellular broadband technology.
Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone’s Group Chief Executive, affirmed their commitment to bridging the mobile usage gap for millions of people in Europe and Africa. “We have taken an important step towards achieving this goal by completing the world’s first location-based 5G call to Europe. We are proud to be a leader in space technology thanks to our cooperation with AST SpaceMobile.”
AT&T Network CEO Chris Sambar echoed the same sentiment, saying, “This is the most important moment in the history of telecommunications. These new changes are the result of collaboration across the entire ecosystem. We are working with user products, businesses and first-time users around the world.”
Bringing to life our shared vision of connected spaces for the benefit of responders – as cellular broadband connects underserved communities around the world.
AST SpaceMobile remains steadfast in its approach, illustrating the conflict with, Five commercial Bluebird satellites in the first quarter of 2024 With a strong technology portfolio of more than 2,600 patents and patents pending and partnerships with more than 40 mobile operators worldwide, including Vodafone, AT&T and Bell Canada, the future of space connectivity looks bright.
Conclusion
AST SpaceMobile’s recent accomplishment in bringing 5G internet from space is a game-changer in how we connect. They made a call from a faraway place using their groundbreaking tech, and it means better internet for everyone around the world.
This achievement, along with their thorough testing and working with big companies, shows that space-based communication is getting even better. Their plan to launch five more satellites in 2024 is a big step toward giving internet access to people who don’t have it yet.
