AST SpaceMobile Inc and AT&T have claimed that they have completed a 5G call between Hawaii and Spain using a smartphone and the company’s satellite. The companies said that this is a first in the race to serve places where wireless networks don’t reach. The call was reportedly made on September 8 using AT&T spectrum and AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 test satellite using an unmodified Galaxy S22 handset in an area considered a “wireless dead zone.”
AST SpaceMobile is building the only space-based cell network that will be accessible by standard mobile phones, and this successful test is a big step forward. The Chairman and CEO of the company, Abel Avellan, said, “Once again, we have achieved a significant technological advancement that represents 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.”
“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,” he added,
Other telecom companies involved in this technology are Nokia and Vodafone. During the call, the team is said to have broken its previous record for a space-based cellular broadband data session by delivering a download data speed of 14Mbps.
Chris Sambar, Head of AT&T Network, said, “These moments are extraordinary milestones in telecommunications history. These first-of-a-kind innovations would not be possible without ecosystem-wide collaboration. We’re all working together to achieve the shared vision of space-based connectivity for consumers, businesses, and first responders all around the globe.”