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The connection used the company’s BlueWalker 3 test satellite and AT&T spectrum – in collaboration with Vodafone, AT&T, and Nokia – and AST SpaceMobile says it shows the promise for filling coverage gaps around the world with 4G and 5G broadband connectivity from space.
When and where? The 5G call was placed on 8 September 2023, from an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone. And company engineers demonstrated the space-based 5G connectivity by placing a call from Maui, Hawaii – a tropical landscape in a “cellular deadzone” – to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid.
In a separate test, the company said it broke its previous space-based cellular data session record by achieving a download rate of approximately 14 Mbps. In June, it had announced the satellite had reached initial download speeds above 10 Mbps. In April it had completed what it described as “the first-ever space-based voice calls using everyday unmodified smartphones” (to Rakuten in Japan from Midland, Texas).
Having previously supported 2G and 4G LTE on standard smartphones, AST Space Mobile boasted that the latest step represented 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 CEO 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.”
You can see a video documenting the 5G connection using BlueWalker 3 here.
BlueWalker 3
The prototype satellite BlueWalker 3 was built with an aperture of 693 square feet to establish connectivity directly with cell phones via 3GPP-standard frequencies.
It launched to orbit on 10 September 2022, and is a predecessor to planned commercial satellites called BlueBirds, the first five of which the company plans to launch in Q1 2024.
AST SpaceMobile’s planned system would mean smartphone users not being required to switch cellular service providers, as optional connectivity to the satellites could be provided when needed. “Plans may consist of day passes, monthly passes, monthly add-ons, or stand-alone plans,” envisages the company.
Image: AST SpaceMobile – BlueWalker 3 on the ground at the Midland, Texas facility prior to launch
See also: 5G satellite networks to generate $17bn for operators
