With the backing of AT&T, AST SpaceMobile, a cellular satellite enterprise, recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone. They established the very first 5G connection between an unaltered smartphone and a satellite orbiting in space.
The call took place on September 8th, 2023, over a Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone. AST SpaceMobile originated the call from a wireless dead zone in Maui, Hawaii. Its recipient was situated in Madrid, Spain. The ingenious use of AST SpaceMobile’s low Earth orbit test satellite, named BlueWalker 3 (BW3), in conjunction with AT&T’s 5G spectrum, ensured that the cellular signal reached its destination. The achievement was corroborated by Vodafone, Nokia, and AT&T.
Work on the project began back in April when SpaceMobile executed its inaugural space-based phone call on AT&T’s 2G network. Subsequently, it transmitted a 4G LTE signal from space, which was successfully received by a standard smartphone, boasting impressive download speeds of 10Mbps. AST SpaceMobile, however, has continued to enhance its capabilities, recently surpassing this download speed record with a remarkable rate of approximately 14Mbps in a separate test.
Abel Avellan, the CEO of AST SpaceMobile, expressed his enthusiasm for this technological breakthrough, emphasizing its transformative impact on access to information. He noted, “Once again, we have achieved a significant technological advancement that represents a paradigm shift in access to information. Since the launch of BW3, we have achieved full compatibility with phones made by all major manufacturers and support for 2G, 4G LTE, and now 5G.”
AST SpaceMobile will remain vigilant, striving to redefine the boundaries of space-based phone communications by harnessing the power of 5G speeds. The company has ambitious plans to launch five commercial BlueBird satellites in the first quarter of the upcoming year. Meanwhile, Apple introduced emergency texting via satellite with the iPhone 14, and T-Mobile is collaborating with SpaceX’s Starlink for satellite connectivity.