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Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group
Vodacom Group parent company, UK-based Vodafone Group has reached an agreement with AST SpaceMobile to launch the first phase of a space-based commercial mobile communications service in 2023.
The goal of the project is to “transform mobile network coverage” for the 49 largest countries in the equatorial regions of the Earth, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania in Africa, all markets in which operates Vodacom.
The development comes after SpaceMobile secured the necessary funding for the first phase of the project.
Vodafone, which is a “leading strategic partner” of SpaceMobile, said the offering will be the first space-based mobile network to connect directly to 4G and 5G smartphones without the need for specialized hardware.
SpaceMobile has secured “up to” US $ 462 million (R6.8 billion) in additional financing (gross income) from existing investors in the company, including Vodafone, Rakuten and American Tower, as well as new financial investors, including UBS O Connor and various financial institutions. The company now plans to list on the Nasdaq through a special purpose acquisition vehicle.
No special equipment
“AST SpaceMobile is in a unique position to provide universal mobile coverage to rural areas of Africa and, in the future, Europe,” Vodafone said in a statement. “AST SpaceMobile will be the first service of its kind to connect standard mobile phones at 4G and 5G speeds using AST SpaceMobile’s proprietary space network.”
According to Vodafone, more than five billion mobile subscribers enter and exit wireless coverage on a regular basis. The SpaceMobile solution will fill these coverage gaps, he said.
“This is a significant advance in helping to provide affordable mobile connectivity to more than half of the world’s population who do not have Internet on their phone. Traditional satellite systems require expensive specialized satellite phones or ground antenna systems, which is different from AST SpaceMobile’s proprietary technology, where all you need is the phone in your pocket, ”said Vodafone. SpaceMobile’s initial network will cover 1.6 billion people and use 20 satellites to provide “low latency, seamless mobile connectivity.”
“The initial service will target an area north and south of the equator, including rural and remote areas in various markets where Vodafone will integrate the technology into the services provided by its Vodacom, Safaricom and Vodafone brands.
Launching the service depends on obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals in each market where Vodacom and Vodafone plan to offer it.
“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 Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group, in the Vodafone statement. “AST SpaceMobile will ensure that remote communities in many sub-Saharan African countries can access the latest digital services.” – © 2020 NewsCentral Media
