Vodafone's Space Video Call: Connecting the Unreachable

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Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle and Astronaut Tim Peake (Image: Vodafone)
Vodafone makes the world’s first space video call from an area of no coverage, as it uses satellites built to offer a full mobile broadband experience

In a world-first achievement, leading telco Vodafone has made a world-first space video call from an area with no mobile phone coverage. 

The call was made using a standard mobile phone with 4G/5G capabilities and commercial satellites that were built to offer a full mobile broadband experience. Vodafone says this is the only satellite technology of its kind and will enable multiple users in areas of no mobile coverage to make and receive video calls across the Internet, in addition to using online messaging services.

Vodafone is hopeful this achievement will pave the way for universal digital connectivity and close gaps in mobile phone coverage.

Margherita Della Valle, CEO of Vodafone Group

Company CEO Margherita Della Valle said: “Vodafone’s job is to get everyone connected, no matter where they are. Our advanced European 5G network will now be complemented with cutting-edge satellite technology. 

“We are bringing customers the best network and connecting people who have never had access to mobile communications before.”

A connectivity revolution

The news comes as the UK is undergoing a connectivity upheaval, as the government is eager to bolster Internet and mobile coverage in more remote areas. 

It is part of the government’s move to boost the national economy, whilst also removing digital inequalities across the country. In the 2024 Autumn Budget, £500m was pledged to improve fast broadband.

Speaking on the space video call, Margherita Della Valle explains that capabilities like this will "help to close the digital divide, supporting people from all corners of Europe to keep in touch with family and friends, or work, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency.” 

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Astronaut Tim Peake marked the occasion with Margherita Della Valle at Vodafone’s new space-to-land gateway, which receives and channels all the signals sent from a user’s smartphone via the BlueBird satellites of Vodafone’s partner, AST SpaceMobile. 

Vodafone engineer Rowan Chesmer put it to the test in the video above when he made the historic space-based video call to Margherita from a remote mountainous location in mid-Wales – where there has never been mobile broadband before. 

Unlike today’s satellite-based services, users of this new offering do not need a special dish, terminal or expensive satellite phone to benefit from full mobile broadband connectivity. 

“The service they will receive mirrors the experience of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks, enabling them to use everyday smartphones to switch between space and ground-based networks automatically,” Vodafone said in its statement.

“Vodafone’s job is to get everyone connected, no matter where they are.”

Margherita Della Valle, CEO, Vodafone

Tim Peake, who in 2015 became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk, added: “Having spent six months on the International Space Station, I can fully appreciate the value in being able to communicate with family and friends from remote and isolated locations. 

“I am delighted to join Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile in this significant breakthrough.”

Astronaut Tim Peake (Image: Britannica)

A European network boost

Vodafone became a lead investor in AST SpaceMobile in 2019. Over the course of its five-year partnership, the company has pioneered successful trials using its test satellite, including completing the world’s first space-based 5G voice call. 

Five AST SpaceMobile satellites, named Bluebird 1 - 5, enable the telco to test mobile broadband connectivity directly to existing smartphones at peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps.

AST SpaceMobile also operates the first and only mobile broadband network in space that works directly with standard, unmodified smartphones for multiple users.

Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms (Image: GOV.UK)

UK Telecoms Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said: “Since coming into office, I have put digital growth and inclusion at the top of my political agenda, harnessing the power of tech innovation to connect the most hard-to-reach parts of Britain. 

“I am thrilled to see Vodafone leveraging satellite connectivity and 5G to help us plug coverage gaps and improve lives across the country.”

The satellite service is able to operate from a low orbit, which is what makes it the only satellite service in the world currently that offers mobile broadband directly to multiple 4G or 5G smartphones. 

Working seamlessly as an extension of Vodafone’s leading land-based networks, it can provide valuable coverage where no fixed alternatives exist. With this in mind, Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile hope the service and terrestrial network will offer Europe a strong communications infrastructure for use anywhere, including in more remote locations.

Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile (Image: AST)

Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, added: “This historic milestone marks another significant step forward in our partnership with Vodafone, a long-time investor in AST SpaceMobile and a key technology partner. 

“Together, we have achieved several world firsts in space-based broadband connectivity, including the first-ever space-based voice call, the first-ever 4G download speed above 10 Mbps, and the first-ever 5G voice call.”

He added: “This latest achievement using our BlueBird satellites, takes us one step closer to our mission to eliminate connectivity gaps and make cellular broadband accessible to all.”


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