Vodafone aims to offer satellite-to-phone connectivity starting later this year
(2025/01/30)
- Reference: 1738240206
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/30/vodafone_aims_to_offer_satellitetophone/
- Source link:
Vodafone claims it has made the first mobile video call using a satellite connection and standard 4G/5G smartphones, and said it aims to offer a commercial direct-to-cell satellite service in Europe starting later this year.
The telecoms giant says the video call was made between one of its engineers, Rowan Chesmer, who was in a remote area of Wales, and Vodafone Group Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle in Newbury.
Diary of a not-spot: Vulture hack vows, I will never pay BT again! [1]READ MORE
Della Valle was joined in Newbury by UK astronaut Tim Peake for the unveiling of Voda's space to land gateway in Europe, which is the ground station linking the satellites with the telco's terrestrial network.
Those satellites are operated by [2]AST SpaceMobile , which currently has five of its BlueBird telecoms platforms in low Earth orbit, with plans to launch up to another 60 Block 2 satellites during 2025 and 2026.
Vodafone said it hopes to offer the first commercial direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service in Europe, starting later in 2025 and in 2026. We asked which country would get support for satellite phone connectivity first, but a company spokesperson claimed it was "too early to say."
[3]
When available, the service will allow users to make and receive video calls, access the internet and use online messaging services as normal, even in areas with no mobile network coverage.
[4]
[5]
Unlike existing satellite-based services, users do not need special hardware, and the service they will receive "mirrors the experience of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks," Vodafone claims, meaning customers can use everyday smartphones to seamlessly access space or ground-based networks.
The handsets used to make the satellite mobile video call were Google [6]Pixel 9 Pro devices, we are told.
[7]
Vodafone also laid claim to the world's first [8]space-based 5G call placed using a standard phone, back in September 2023.
Just before the end of last year, the company signed a long-term commercial agreement with AST SpaceMobile through to 2034 for Vodafone to offer space-based connectivity in its home markets, as well as to other operators via its Partner Markets program.
In a statement, Della Valle remarked that Voda's satellite service would help to close the digital divide, connecting people who have never had access to mobile communications, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency.
[9]
She added that it would support "people from all corners of Europe to keep in touch with family and friends, or work, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency."
Paolo Pescatore, analyst and founder at PP Foresight, told The Register that this is a timely move in light of everything that is going on.
Will 2025 be the year satellite-to-smartphone services truly take off? [10]READ MORE
"Satellite is literally the next frontier as all scramble to provide users with robust and reliable connectivity," he commented. "However, it requires huge investment at a time when margins are being squeezed, and users are reluctant to spend more."
Kester Mann, Director for Consumer and Connectivity at CCS Insight, said it is a significant milestone for the increasingly competitive satellite communications sector.
Using standard smartphones has a clear advantage, in that there is a large existing user base for operators like Vodafone to go after, Mann said, with figures from CCS Insight suggesting there are over a billion smartphones in use in this region that will already work with the technology.
Although "standard" smartphones will work with the satellite service, these must be models compliant with the non-terrestrial network (NTN) capabilities specified in Release 17 and 18 of the 3GPP standards, which older phones might not be, but all devices going forwards will.
"Offering a commercial service as soon as this year is ahead of many people's expectations," Mann said. However, he cautioned that no details have been shared about pricing, which will be the main driver of take-up. Research from CCS Insight indicates that almost half of UK consumers could be willing to pay to make and receive voice calls or access the Internet over satellite, he claimed.
[11]UK may not hit goal of 95% mobile coverage, commons committee warns
[12]Working from a countryside plot nestled in a not-spot? Consultation opens on new rural mobile planning laws for bigger masts, wider coverage
[13]UK: From 5G in Tiree to the Isles of Ebony, carry me on the waves… Sail Huawei, sail Huawei, sail Huawei
[14]Is that a bird's nest, a wireless broadband base station, or both?
However, industry body The [15]GSM Association (GSMA) reported last year that two out of five mobile phone subscribers are [16]unwilling to pay any extra for direct-to-cell satellite services.
Mann pointed out that the opportunity for satellite services in Europe is less clear-cut than in other regions, as it is already largely served by mobile network and fiber broadband coverage, meaning that the technology will likely only ever take a complementary role as far as mobile operators are concerned. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2011/08/01/bye_bye_bt/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/02/satellite_phone_services_starlink/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/13/google_gemini_ai_pixel/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/21/vodafone_first_space_5g_call/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/02/satellite_phone_services_starlink/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/uk_may_not_hit_goal/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/20/dcms_opens_consultation_on_new/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/01/28/uk_says_yes_to_limited_huawei_non_core/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/10/nbn_australia_broadband_nests/
[15] https://www.gsma.com/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/02/sat_phone_user_pay/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The telecoms giant says the video call was made between one of its engineers, Rowan Chesmer, who was in a remote area of Wales, and Vodafone Group Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle in Newbury.
Diary of a not-spot: Vulture hack vows, I will never pay BT again! [1]READ MORE
Della Valle was joined in Newbury by UK astronaut Tim Peake for the unveiling of Voda's space to land gateway in Europe, which is the ground station linking the satellites with the telco's terrestrial network.
Those satellites are operated by [2]AST SpaceMobile , which currently has five of its BlueBird telecoms platforms in low Earth orbit, with plans to launch up to another 60 Block 2 satellites during 2025 and 2026.
Vodafone said it hopes to offer the first commercial direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service in Europe, starting later in 2025 and in 2026. We asked which country would get support for satellite phone connectivity first, but a company spokesperson claimed it was "too early to say."
[3]
When available, the service will allow users to make and receive video calls, access the internet and use online messaging services as normal, even in areas with no mobile network coverage.
[4]
[5]
Unlike existing satellite-based services, users do not need special hardware, and the service they will receive "mirrors the experience of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks," Vodafone claims, meaning customers can use everyday smartphones to seamlessly access space or ground-based networks.
The handsets used to make the satellite mobile video call were Google [6]Pixel 9 Pro devices, we are told.
[7]
Vodafone also laid claim to the world's first [8]space-based 5G call placed using a standard phone, back in September 2023.
Just before the end of last year, the company signed a long-term commercial agreement with AST SpaceMobile through to 2034 for Vodafone to offer space-based connectivity in its home markets, as well as to other operators via its Partner Markets program.
In a statement, Della Valle remarked that Voda's satellite service would help to close the digital divide, connecting people who have never had access to mobile communications, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency.
[9]
She added that it would support "people from all corners of Europe to keep in touch with family and friends, or work, as well as ensuring reliable rural connectivity in an emergency."
Paolo Pescatore, analyst and founder at PP Foresight, told The Register that this is a timely move in light of everything that is going on.
Will 2025 be the year satellite-to-smartphone services truly take off? [10]READ MORE
"Satellite is literally the next frontier as all scramble to provide users with robust and reliable connectivity," he commented. "However, it requires huge investment at a time when margins are being squeezed, and users are reluctant to spend more."
Kester Mann, Director for Consumer and Connectivity at CCS Insight, said it is a significant milestone for the increasingly competitive satellite communications sector.
Using standard smartphones has a clear advantage, in that there is a large existing user base for operators like Vodafone to go after, Mann said, with figures from CCS Insight suggesting there are over a billion smartphones in use in this region that will already work with the technology.
Although "standard" smartphones will work with the satellite service, these must be models compliant with the non-terrestrial network (NTN) capabilities specified in Release 17 and 18 of the 3GPP standards, which older phones might not be, but all devices going forwards will.
"Offering a commercial service as soon as this year is ahead of many people's expectations," Mann said. However, he cautioned that no details have been shared about pricing, which will be the main driver of take-up. Research from CCS Insight indicates that almost half of UK consumers could be willing to pay to make and receive voice calls or access the Internet over satellite, he claimed.
[11]UK may not hit goal of 95% mobile coverage, commons committee warns
[12]Working from a countryside plot nestled in a not-spot? Consultation opens on new rural mobile planning laws for bigger masts, wider coverage
[13]UK: From 5G in Tiree to the Isles of Ebony, carry me on the waves… Sail Huawei, sail Huawei, sail Huawei
[14]Is that a bird's nest, a wireless broadband base station, or both?
However, industry body The [15]GSM Association (GSMA) reported last year that two out of five mobile phone subscribers are [16]unwilling to pay any extra for direct-to-cell satellite services.
Mann pointed out that the opportunity for satellite services in Europe is less clear-cut than in other regions, as it is already largely served by mobile network and fiber broadband coverage, meaning that the technology will likely only ever take a complementary role as far as mobile operators are concerned. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2011/08/01/bye_bye_bt/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/02/satellite_phone_services_starlink/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/13/google_gemini_ai_pixel/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/21/vodafone_first_space_5g_call/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5uwNArroCZoV3csRxcqYQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/02/satellite_phone_services_starlink/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/uk_may_not_hit_goal/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/20/dcms_opens_consultation_on_new/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/01/28/uk_says_yes_to_limited_huawei_non_core/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/10/nbn_australia_broadband_nests/
[15] https://www.gsma.com/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/02/sat_phone_user_pay/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Service?
Caver_Dave
Eyes skyward! My work phone is only ever used for company IT resource 2FA, my personal phone for website 2FA and payment authorisation.
The number of times these timed out as I used to wander around the house/garden/street trying to get the signals!
This is in an areas where all the networks say I should get both 3G and 4G indoors.
Latest phones have WiFi calling and so I no longer have problems. Phew!
I don't see them offering it as a free upgrade in not-spots!
Timing is everything!
Flak
5 low earth orbit satellites (cruising altitude of just over 500km) will provide very intermittent service.
Apparently orbiting the earth twice a day, the photoshoot for this call will have been timed to perfection, both in terms of start time and duration.
Putting that aside, it is a fantastic achievement to have bi-directional comms between standard mobile phones and satellites, given the distance.
I am not sure how much cover this will be able to provide, even with a much enhanced roll-out.
Starlink is apparently planning a launch of direct-to-device mobile services from their 7000 current satellites.
What were the momentous first words spoken?
Howard Sway
"£75 per call? You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
Re: What were the momentous first words spoken?
Brave Coward
Sorry, no Sir. Only fucking quid-ing you.
tony72
...two out of five mobile phone subscribers are unwilling to pay any extra for direct-to-cell satellite services
I'm surprised it's not higher than that, depending on how exactly the question was worded. How much extra, and what exactly does it do for you? If you rarely go anywhere that doesn't already have cellular coverage, then it would seem to be rather pointless, so what exactly do most of the three out of five subscribers who are willing to pay extra for it think they're getting?
I'm not willing to pay "extra" until they make it work in built-up areas
Mishak
And WiFi Calling is clever - they get you to pay for and provide a network so that they can charge you to use a service that they "provide"...
Service?
"and the service they will receive "mirrors the experience of existing 4G and 5G mobile networks,"
Excellent, so calls dropping, unintelligible audio and terrible service indoors. Nice