Vodafone And AST Spacemobileannounced that they have signed two new cooperation in the field of mobile communication via satellite.
In a statement on this subject, the following transferred: “Vodafone Group and AST Spacemobile has carried out a new cooperation in the field of satellite -based broadband technology. The two companies have signed an agreement to establish a joint European satellite service business that will offer a satellite -based mobile broadband technology, which is designed for commercial and government applications and is directly accessible with smart phones. The new company, which will be called the SATCO, will aim to provide 100 %geographical scope throughout Europe and offer consumers and businesses a secure satellite -based mobile broadband connection through mobile network operators.
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In cooperation with Vodafone, AST Spacemobile and Málaga University, it will establish a new space and land -based mobile broadband research and verification center in Europe. Supported by the Spanish Space Agency, the center will be opened in the summer of 2025 within the Vodafone Innovation Center in Málaga. In the center, low orbit space and land -based integrated mobile broadband services will be developed. In this way, customers will be able to switch between satellite and 4G/5G networks using their existing smart phones. The center will adopt the principles of open radio access network (RAN) to create a new space/land ecosystem that encourages the determination of common standards in Europe. Vodafone’s business partners AST Space Spacemobile and Málaga University, as well as other third -party technology companies and developers, are invited to the project, and to encourage a new European ecosystem consisting of united satellite and land connection solutions.
The center to be opened will focus on issues such as new and open source equipment, software, process chip design and testing and verification of them in the center, space and land -based networks. The center will host a gateway from space to land. With the project, business partners and other operators will have the opportunity to test and verify AST Spacemobile’s Bluebird Satellite. This will encourage cooperation that will pave the way for innovations throughout the sector and provide universal connection services faster and more efficiently. Vodafone will make this center a fully management network and service operation center for third -party companies in Europe.
Vodafone and AST Spacemobile also signed an agreement to establish a new company that will provide direct satellite service to devices. The new initiative will distribute AST Spacemobile’s satellite services to mobile network operators in Europe under a single turnover regulation. This will be supported by Vodafone’s advanced engineering expertise with a network management and network operation center infrastructure in Europe. For mobile network operators, Satco will build a European networking network and carry data from this network to the low orbit satellite network.
Vodafone has taken an important step for the goal of providing mobile coverage to 340 million customers and 45 markets in 15 countries and network partners in 15 countries, by performing the world’s first space -based mobile video conversation with AST Spacemobile’s Bluebird Satellites last January last January. In 2025 and 2026, Vodafone is leading the introduction of a commercial space -based mobile wide -owner connection throughout Europe.
Vodafone Türkiye also used the same technology in Turkey and successfully performed voice calls and SMS tests on the Bluewalker3 test satellite of AST Spacemobile in Türkiye. This successful test, which has been performed with standard phones without using any additional equipment or software in a rural and mountainous area where there is no coverage between Bolu and Düzce, is a first in Türkiye and is of great importance in terms of being the first in the US after the tests in the USA.
AST Spacemobile provides the only satellite technology that will directly offer a large number of 4G or 5G smartphones to a large number of 4G or 5G smartphones without requiring any special software or device support in the world. This technology works smoothly as an extension of Vodafone’s land -based networks. The satellite serves as a complementary technology that covers where there is no existing mobile or fixed alternative. Satellite service and land -based network will offer a usable communication infrastructure at any time in Europe, including mountainous areas and seas, and will increase the overall durability. ”
Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle said: “Vodafone’s satellite -based mobile broadband technology will allow our customers to be connected wherever they are. Our new satellite company will be able to present this technology to other European mobile operators through a key delivery service that combines Vodafone’s Network and Engineering Expertise and AST Spacemobile’s Antenna in the Sky. ”
AST Spacemobile CEO Abel Avellan said: “Together with Vodafone, we are ready to accelerate our plans to trade all over Europe, and we take an important step to turn the satellite -based mobile broadband into reality.”