High-speed Internet from Space to Your Cell Phone

Starlink isn’t the only U.S. company working on direct satellite connectivity for cell phones. AST SpaceMobile has been developing this technology for several years. In fact, AST made history as the first company ever to make a “phone home” call from space. The company now aims to cover the entire U.S. in collaboration with AT&T and Verizon before expanding worldwide.

Making History with the First Two-Way Phone Call from Space

Founded in 2017, the Texas-based telecom startup’s goal was to create the world’s first space-based cellular network that could connect to any standard phone on Earth. Five years later, in April 2023, AST successfully made the first two-way phone call from space using a commercially available cell phone.

AST used a low-Earth-orbit satellite, Blue Walker 3 (BW3), to achieve this, launching it aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in September 2022.The historic call took place from Midland, Texas, to Rakuten in Japan using AT&T’s network on an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22. To further validate its technology, AST engineers tested several other smartphones and devices, all of which successfully connected directly to the BW3 satellite, bypassing the need for terrestrial towers.

By September 2023, just a year after launch, AST achieved a 14-Mbps data stream via the BW3 satellite. While this is slower than the peak speeds of 5G (up to 1,000 Mbps), it is sufficient for streaming 1080p high-definition video.

Expansion Plans with Additional Satellites

In 2024, AST SpaceMobile launched an additional five satellites, BlueBird 1 through 5, with plans to create a constellation of 168 satellites using low-band 40-MHz frequency to achieve speeds up to 120 Mbps. This would surpass typical 4G speeds and even some low-end 5G data rates, offering speeds around 150,000 times faster than China’s Tiantong sat-to-cell satellites.

AST’s approach differs from Starlink’s. While Starlink focuses on general data connectivity and requires specialized equipment, AST’s technology is purpose-built specifically for direct-to-cell service. Starlink only recently launched satellites capable of handling direct-to-cell communication.

Each of the current BlueBird satellites unfolds to about 700 square feet in space, but AST plans to build next-generation satellites that are three times larger and have ten times the data capacity.

In-House Manufacturing and Strategic Partnerships

95% of AST’s manufacturing, from production to testing, is done in the U.S. in-house.

The company has formed partnerships with AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. and global players like Bell Canada, Rakuten, Vodafone, and more, aiming to offer its satellite network to approximately 2.8 billion people worldwide. The goal is to eliminate dead zones where terrestrial towers are unreachable or nonexistent.

However, this technology does have some drawbacks. For those seeking a digital detox, staying disconnected will be harder unless they turn off their phones or leave them behind.

Once fully deployed, BW3 reached a peak brightness of magnitude 0.4, matching the brightness of the brightest stars like Betelgeuse and Procyon.

Astronomical and Space Debris Concerns

The satellites might also pose issues for astronomy. The U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) and Australia’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory could be affected by satellite interference. Additionally, the growing amount of space debris—currently, 34,000 pieces—raises concerns about collision risks. Efforts are being made to ensure satellites can deorbit safely, but standardized protocols have not yet been established.

Still, the ability for emergency services and civilians to remain connected, regardless of location, could ultimately outweigh these concerns.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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