Company managed to make the first 5G call via satellite this month. Find out more!
American satellite manufacturing startup AST SpaceMobile has made the first 5G call via satellite using a regular cell phone. According to a statement from the company, the phone used in the historic call was a Samsung Galaxy S22, without any modifications.
An engineer in Hawaii successfully communicated with a colleague based in Spain on September 8 using AT&T infrastructure and the BlueWalker 3 test satellite owned by AST SpaceMobile.
The startup's CEO and president said making the first successful 5G cellular broadband connections from space directly to mobile phones is yet another significant advancement in telecommunications where the company pioneered.
Continue reading and learn more about this technological innovation!
5G calling via satellite
In a video released by AST SpaceMobile, it is possible to see that the call took place via WhatsApp, which is a popular app worldwide, but especially among Brazilians. The call originated from a remote location in Maui, which is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
The first 5G call via satellite with a regular cell phone was made by a cell phone Galaxy S22, from Samsung, without any modifications. The startup has already carried out similar tests since April of this year, when it managed to make the first call via satellite, but on that occasion 4G connectivity technology was used.
The experiments earlier this year served to prove that it was possible to make satellite calls using conventional handsets. For the company's CEO, Abel Avellan, making the first successful connections from space directly to mobile phones is yet another significant advance in telecommunications that AST has pioneered.
One of the organization's main goals is to build its own constellation of low-orbit satellites, similar to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's Starlink. The development of the technology aims to address gaps in the planet's telecommunications systems, offering a stable connection even in the most remote locations.
The company said it is more confident than ever that space-based cellular broadband can help transform internet connectivity around the world, bridging gaps and connecting the unconnected.
AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile is a satellite designer and manufacturer based in Texas, United States. The company was founded in mid-2017 by Abel Avellan, a US citizen who previously worked for a Swedish telecommunications conglomerate.
In the first half of next year, AST plans to launch five commercial Bluebird satellites. The models are currently being built and tested at the company's facility in Midland, Texas.
Satellite communications
Satellite communications arrived on conventional smartphones last year with the iPhone 14, which allows for the sending and receiving of text messages. The Android 14 It should also have satellite connectivity, which is very useful in emergency situations, in regions where the cell phone will not find a signal.
For this to happen, Google must turn to Garnin, which already has expertise in this type of activity. In addition to Google, other companies are also looking at the feature, such as Qualcomm, which reported that satellite connectivity brings a clear benefit to the consumer.
