One giant step
According to AST SpaceMobile’s statement, space-based 5G connection technology was carried out with an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 on September 8, 2023. According to the statement, a voice call was made from this special Galaxy S22 phone in Hawaii to a Vodafone line device in Madrid, Spain. On the other hand, earlier this year, the company managed to successfully test its satellite by sending 4G signals to smartphones.
This remarkable achievement builds on AST SpaceMobile’s previous achievement of the world’s first space-based voice calls using typical, unmodified smartphones. The company broke a record by reaching 14 Mbps in recent months. The company’s comprehensive testing program now covers voice calls, 4G video calls, and now 5G connections that facilitate not only basic voice calls and text messaging but also web browsing, downloading, messaging apps, and video streaming on standard mobile devices.
Expressing his excitement, Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, said: “Once again, we have made a significant technological advance that represents a paradigm shift in access to information. Since the launch of BlueWalker 3, full compatibility with phones manufactured by all major manufacturers and we have support for 2G, 4G LTE and now 5G.” By the way, let us also point out that AST SpaceMobile has collaborated with industry giants AT&T and Nokia.