On September 24, the world’s first satellite-enabled 5G call was successfully dialed in Europe by AST SpaceMobile’s satellite, as well as telecom operator Vodafone (Vodafone) and others. In addition, the test achieved a data transfer rate of 14 Mbps.
The 5G call was realized using the BlueWalker 3 test satellite, built by Vodafone, AT&T, and Nokia, which used a chip designed by British company EnSilica.
The 5G call, made from Maui, Hawaii, to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid, Spain, used spectrum provided by AT&T via the BlueWalker 3 satellite, and was made from an original Samsung Galaxy S22. The test broke the previous record for data speeds in space-based cellular mobile networks, achieving a 14Mbps The download rate was 14 Mbps.
Abel Avellan, CEO of AST SpaceMobile, said, “This achievement represents another major technological advancement and signals a shift in the way information is accessed.” Since the launch of the BlueWalker 3 satellite, the company has successfully achieved compatibility with all major cell phone manufacturers and support for 2G, 4G LTE, and 5G networks.
Tommi Uitto, President of Nokia Mobile Networks, congratulated the company, stating that space-based cellular mobile networks can provide vital network connectivity around the world, and he is proud of the key role that Nokia’s AirScale portfolio is playing in this network.