Vodafone Makes History With World’s First Space Video Call From an Area of No Coverage

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Vodafone made a full video call using a satellite service that can provide a complete mobile experience on a standard mobile device.

Vodafone, a British multinational telecommunications company, makes history by making the world’s first video call via satellite with a regular smartphone and a remote location.

The company plans to make this technology available to its customers throughout Europe late this year in 2026.

On Monday, company engineer Rowan Chesmer contacted Margherita Della Valle, the European mobile operator’s chief executive officer (CEO), from the Welsh mountains, which had no network coverage.

Della Valle stated in an interview on Wednesday that they have a full video call using a satellite service that can provide a complete mobile experience with a standard mobile device that can provide everything from voice to text to video data transmission.

The goal for Vodafone was to deliver the service to the client as soon as possible.

Satellite connectivity allows a regular phone to operate while providing full internet access when coverage is limited otherwise.

Many iPhones and Android phones already have satellite communication in case of emergency, but it is a text message-based currently.

Now, Vodafone has taken its first step forward through this experiment of having a video chat with Ms. Della Valle and a business engineer who is not located in West Wales.

Ms. Delle Valle stated that this was a significant moment in the telecommunication world since it paved the way for universal connection, allowing everyone in the United Kingdom (UK) to communicate with others no matter where they are.

It will not replace existing masts and towers with satellites and antennas in the sky but rather provide an additional layer of coverage.

As Vodafone expands its services, it assures its customers that they won’t need any extra equipment to make this work.

However, the company is not sure about the costs that the customers need to incur to avail of the services.

Vodafone has collaborated with AST SpaceMobile, a satellite company that currently has few satellites in orbit. They will test it on Monday, which needs to be at the right place and time.

Vodafone is using AST SpaceMobile’s five BlueBird satellites in low Earth orbit to offer 120 megabytes per second of transmission speed for regular cellphones.

The British company is investing in AST SpaceMobile along with AT&T, Verizon, and Google.

Luke Pearce, an analyst at CCS Insight, a leading research and advisory company focused on the connected world and the future of technology, stated that the actual challenge is working with a company with relatively new satellites.

He is not sure about the new satellite company because they got some satellites into space only last year. They need to build a full constellation to be able to provide consistent coverage.

Mr Pearce said they need to discuss the amount of satellite services that need to be regulated, which will also affect its competitors like Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Ofcom, a government-approved regulatory for the broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries of the United Kingdom, has previously said it plans to consult on the matter in early 2025.

Apple devices, since the iPhone 14, can use satellites to share location via low bandwidth networks, text friends and family, and call emergency services.

Samsung and Google also provide similar services to their customers.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T-Mobile U.S. are also trying to use Starlink to deliver text services.

This move will help develop the world of technology in a whole new direction.

Delle Valle was accompanied by British astronaut Tim Peake for the launch of the space-to-land connectivity in London, where the signal is sent from a smartphone through satellites and connected to the core network.

Peake was the first Briton to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk. He was able to connect with family and friends living in a pretty remote and isolated environment.