Vodafone has announced it successfully made the UK’s first-ever satellite-enabled smartphone video call. The call, which took place from a mountain in Ceredigion, west Wales, is part of Vodafone’s plan to add satellite connectivity to its UK network by the end of this year and expand it across Europe by 2026.
Vodafone’s CEO, Margherita Della Valle, believes this technology could help eliminate “not spots” – areas that don’t have mobile phone coverage. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, estimates that 9% of the UK suffers from such areas.
However, experts point out that there are still challenges, like clearing regulatory issues and launching more satellites for the service to be widely available. Astronomers also raise concerns that more satellites in orbit are making it harder to study space.
How It Works
Satellite connectivity allows regular phones to work normally with full internet access, even when there’s no mobile coverage. Some smartphones already have emergency satellite connectivity for sending text messages in areas without signal.
Vodafone has taken this a step further with a video call between a company engineer in a remote area of Wales and Ms. Della Valle. She sees this as a major step toward connecting people anywhere in the UK, even in areas where phone networks usually don’t reach.
The satellites won’t replace the traditional mobile phone masts but will add extra coverage. Customers won’t need any special equipment as the service expands, though Vodafone hasn’t yet decided what the service will cost.
Vodafone has partnered with a satellite company, AST SpaceMobile, which currently has only a few satellites in orbit. The recent test call had to be perfectly timed with one of the satellites being in the right location.
Challenges Ahead
Luke Pearce, an analyst at CCS Insight, points out that AST SpaceMobile’s satellite network is still growing. To provide reliable service, the company needs many more satellites in orbit. Additionally, there are still unresolved regulatory issues about how such satellite services should be managed, which also affects other companies like Starlink, the satellite network by Elon Musk.
Ofcom is expected to discuss these issues in early 2025.
Space Concerns
The increasing number of satellites in space has raised concerns among astronomers. They worry that satellites create bright streaks in their images, making it harder to study the universe. Additionally, satellites are warm and shine in the infrared part of the spectrum, interfering with observations in many regions.
This is especially concerning for spotting potentially dangerous asteroids, which is becoming more challenging as satellite numbers grow.
However, astronaut Tim Peake, who participated in the video call, believes there’s plenty of space for more satellites. He says the real challenge is managing and regulating the increasing number of satellites to ensure safety and protect the space environment, while also using it for the benefit of people on Earth.
