Though its Indian venture, Vi is struggling to roll out 5G services across the country, UK-based multinational telecom company Vodafone has achieved something extra-ordinary - On 29th of January, 2025 Vodafone has successfully made the world’s first space video call using normal 4G/5G smartphones and satellites that will allow multiple users in areas of no mobile coverage to make and receive video calls, access the Internet and use online messaging services.
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| Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group-CEO & Astronaut Tim Peake |
The space-partner of Vodafone remains the same AST SpaceMobile in which Vodafone invested in 2020 and since then both working closely. In December 2024 both entered into a definitive long-term commercial agreement through 2034 - which is a significant step forward in their collaboration to expand broadband connectivity globally.
Vodafone targets to offer the first commercial direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service in Europe from later in 2025 and 2026.Rowan Chesmer, Vodafone engineer, makes historic first space mobile video call from a remote area of Wales to Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group-CEO, using BlueWalker constellation of AST SpaceMobile. Astronaut Tim Peake, who in 2015 became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk, joined Margherita in Newbury, UK, for unveiling of first space to land gateway in Europe which seamlessly connects the satellites with Vodafone’s terrestrial network.
On 19th September 2023, Vodafone and its space-partner Texas based AST SpaceMobile completed world's first space-based 5G voice call. The call, which took place from Hawaii to José Guevara, a Vodafone engineer in Spain, was made using an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone and AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 test satellite. BlueWalker 3 is the largest commercial communications array deployed in low Earth orbit. At present AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker LEO constellation is the only satellite internet company that connects with normal 4G or 5G smartphones without the need of sat dishes, terminal or expensive satellite phone.
In a separate test, AST Space Mobile, supported by Vodafone, broke its previous space-based broadband data speed record achieving download speed of approx. 14 Mbps. This new technology has the potential to connect millions of people in the remotest regions to the internet for the first-time using existing mobile phones.
On June 21, 2023 AST SpaceMobile became the first telecom service provider to beam 4G-LTE signals from satellite, BlueWalker 3 to connect directly by standard smartphone. The test, conducted at Hawaii, achieved downlink of 10Mbps using AT&T spectrum and Nokia RAN technology.
Abel Avellan founded AST & Science LLC in May 2017, which was rebranded as AST SpaceMobile. Abel remains the chairman and CEO of the company. AST SpaceMobile's first satellite - BlueWalker 1 was put on orbit in 2019 by Indian space agency ISRO's PSLV rocket, though it was decayed from the orbit in 2023. BlueWalker 3, put on the orbit in September 2022 by SpaceX. In September 2024 AST sent another 5 satellites under 'BlueBird Block 1 #1-5' - they are also operational now. Each BlueBird is exceptionally large, with a 700-square-foot communication array.
During early February 2025, FCC, the American telecom controller granted AST to try out its satellite connection services for voice, apps, video, and data roaming.
World's leader in sat-net technology, Starlink is also working with American telecom service providers like Verizon and T-Mobile to bring Cellular Starlink to normal smartphones like Apple iPhone and Samsung's flagship models. Starlink presently deployed more than 7,000 small LEO satellites to provide global coverage. As of Q4 2024 Starlink is present in 106 countries - of which 15 are of Africa.
Among India's neighbour countries, only Sri Lanka got Starlink satcom services so far.
India's space market is also evolving. IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) recently predicted that India's space economy to potentially touch $44 billion by 2033, accounting for about 8% of the global share, up from about 2% currently. Satcom will connect remote, hilly and inaccessible regions, as well as will connect any area during disasters. With LEO satellite constellation satcom companies will offer high speed internet to remotest spots.
On January 21, 2025 Bharti Enterprises VC, Rajan Bharti Mittal informed that its satellite services is ready for roll out in India - both of their stations are ready in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. In 2020 Bharti Global picked up stakes in bankrupt satcom company OneWeb along with Government of United Kingdom. Japan SoftBank is another partner in this joint venture. At present it is Eutelsat OneWeb as Eutelsat merged with OneWeb in September 2023 - turning into world's first satcom company with LEO and GEO satellites. Eutelsat OneWeb has more than 600 satellites roaming across the earth.
While India's largest telecom player Reliance Jio founded Orbit Connect India (previously Jio Satelllite Communication - JSC) with Luxemburg-based company SES in 2021. Jio plans to bring satcom services under JioSpaceFiber branding.
In India to offer satcom services, the provider must get 2 licenses. First is a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license. And the second is the authorization from IN-SPACe (the space regulator). Both Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-backed Orbit Connect India obtained these licenses.
In October 2024, both companies were allocated satellite spectrum provisionally for 6 months by DoT to conduct trials.
While Starlink, Tata/Nelco-Telesat and Amazon's Project Kuipers are in the queue.
So India's satcom boom is waiting for the last thing - Spectrum allocation. How spectrum for satellite broadband will be allocated is still not clear.
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