Vodafone Makes First Satellite Video Calls In The World With Ordinary Smartphones

Vodafone CEO, Margherita Della Valle (left) and British astronaut Team. (photo: x @zonamovilidad)

JAKARTA Vodafone announced that it has succeeded in making the world's first video call via satellite using ordinary smartphones from remote locations. The company plans to launch this technology for users across Europe by the end of 2025 to 2026.

Vodafone CEO, Margherita Della Valle, received a video call on Monday, January 29 from the company's engineer, Rowan Chesmer, who is in the Wales mountains without a network signal.

"We are using the only satellite service that can provide full mobile experience with regular devices, ranging from voice calls, text messages, to video data transmission," Della Valle said in an interview on Thursday, January 30.

Vodafone utilizes five AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites in low-Earth orbit. This technology allows transmission speeds of up to 120 megabits per second for standard smartphones.

Vodafone is one of the investors in AST SpaceMobile, along with AT&T, Verizon, Google, and others.

Competition in satellite services for cellular communications is increasing. Apple has integrated satellite technology on the iPhone 14 for emergency services, messages, and location sharing. Google and Samsung are also developing similar features, while T-Mobile US and SpaceX are testing Starlink satellites for future messaging, voice calling, and data services.

The launch of this technology was unveiled at Vodafone's headquarters in Newbury, England, with the presence of British astronaut Team Peake.

Peake, who has spent 186 days on the International Space Station (ISS), called this innovation an extraordinary breakthrough in communications. "Mampu remains connected to family and friends from remote locations is very important," said Peake.

With this achievement, Vodafone further strengthens its position in presenting unlimited connectivity for its users around the world.