AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone have entered into a definitive, long-term commercial agreement through 2034, representing a significant step forward for both organisations in collaborating to expand broadband connectivity globally.
The agreement establishes framework for Vodafone to offer space-based celular broadband connectivity in its home markets and to other operators via its Partner Markets programme.
This news follows another celebration for the sector of space-based cellular connectivity, as Sateliot was awarded a €30 million loan by the European Investment Bank to roll out its Low Earth Orbit satellites.
Since 2018, Vodafone has been a three-time investor in AST SpaceMobile, and is a key technology partner in AST SpaceMobile’s development, including several world’s firsts in direct-to-device connectivity with everyday smartphones that confirmed 2G, 4G and 5G capabilities.
In April 2023, for example, AST SpaceMobile and its partners completed the first-ever space-based voice call to an unmodified phone. That was followed by the first-ever 4G download speed above 10Mbps in June 2023 and the first-ever 5G voice call in September 2023. Ultimately, the company and its partners have demonstrated over 20mbps download speeds to unmodified phones on a 5Mhz channel.
Vodafone has placed an order for its first Block 1 BlueBird gateway, marking a milestone in the deployment of AST SpaceMobile’s global network infrastructure. Users outside traditional cellular coverage will be able to connect their everyday smartphones directly to AST SpaceMobile’s satellites in low Earth orbit, which in turn will route the data to the gateway. These gateways will then connect to Vodafone’s existing network infrastructure to route the broadband data to users’ devices, as well as to access third-party apps and the Internet.
The next-generation Block 2 BlueBirds feature up to 2,400 square foot communications arrays and are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird satellites in orbit today, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120Mbps, supporting voice, full data, and video applications.
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by commenting below or visiting our LinkedIn page.
