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Vodacom plans to provide mobile connectivity with 4G and 5G speeds through a satellite communications service in several African countries in 2023.
The initiative is part of an agreement between parent company Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile, which is building the first global broadband cellular network in space to operate directly with standard unmodified mobile devices.
The first tranche of AST SpaceMobile’s launch plans will involve the use of 20 satellites to provide low-latency mobile connectivity accessible to approximately 1.6 billion people living in the 49 largest equatorial regions of the world.
“The initial service will be directed to an area north and south of the equator, including rural and remote areas of various markets where Vodafone will integrate the technology into the services provided by its Vodacom, Safaricom and Vodafone brands,” the company explained.
“Subject to regulatory approval in each market, these will include DRC, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania,“AST SpaceMobile said. It also plans to secure approval in India.
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said that providing affordable mobile coverage requires a combination of technologies and infrastructure, including traditional masts and small cells, balloons and satellites at the edge of space.
“While we have been adding deep rural network sites to connect remote communities without any coverage, the lack of power in some areas creates insurmountable obstacles,” said Joosub.
“AST SpaceMobile will ensure that remote communities in many sub-Saharan African countries can access the latest digital services,” he added.
Works with standard devices
Traditional satellite-based systems require expensive specialized satellite phones or ground-based antennas to communicate.
AST SpaceMobile said its service will be the first of its kind to connect standard mobile phones at 4G and 5G speeds without this specialized equipment, as it uses AST SpaceMobile’s proprietary space network.
“This is a significant advance in helping provide affordable mobile connectivity to more than half of the world’s population who do not have Internet on their phone,” the company said.
“Today, more than five billion mobile subscribers are constantly in and out of wireless coverage, and AST SpaceMobile’s solution will fill these coverage gaps to allow people to stay connected while on the go,” he added.
Vodafone said the network will also allow it to provide instant communications in the event of a natural or humanitarian disaster.
This article first appeared on MyBroadband. You can read it here.
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