Vodafone does the first video call over satellite that uses a regular cellphone

30 January 2025
Vodafone's partner, AST SpaceMobile, claims to be the first and only mobile broadband provider in space whose satellites work with regular 4G and 5G phones.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • pwn
  • 01 Feb 2025

Anonymous, 31 Jan 2025 Only if there are existance of vodafone tower in your area... moreYou misunderstood it. The phone directly connects to the satellite through 4G/5G because there is no near ground tower. No special satellite technics is in the phone needed. The satellite is then connected to a ground tower which is connected to the internet. This probably works because the satellites do produce a much stronger 4G/5G signal than a tower on earth does.

    • d
    • df
    • S37
    • 31 Jan 2025

    webrtc with different encoder decoder on Firefox will do?

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • Kx4
      • 31 Jan 2025

      Only if there are existance of vodafone tower in your area..and then the tower can make internet connection through satellite..

      While phone with native satellite feature, can connect internet directly to satellite

        They need to enable RCS messaging services here on earth forget space

          IMX363, 30 Jan 2025Baby steps. What this shows is the direction. Space, is the... moreIndeed, baby steps are the beginning. Later on development of this kind of -emergency- communication might as well leap forward in a matter of years.

            Anonymous, 30 Jan 2025Cool demo, but I doubt that the system will have enough ban... moreWhat does the number of satellites have to do with bandwidth?
            One satellite is covering whole Uk they said.

              Anonymous, 30 Jan 2025Cool demo, but I doubt that the system will have enough ban... moreBaby steps. What this shows is the direction. Space, is the next communications frontier.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • Iby
                • 30 Jan 2025

                Sam N8 808 owner, 30 Jan 2025Won't this require huge amounts of power to operate? C... moreI'm not quite an expert on this, but my understanding is that the satellites are far louder than a terrestrial cell tower would be, and are more sensitive to receiving communications as well. How well that works in practice, I have no idea. But everything should be within normal power limits on the terrestrial cell phone.

                  Won't this require huge amounts of power to operate? Clear space above us will help, but how much? Even 2G's 800Mhz range was way lower than what the satellites manage.

                  Anyhow, they're claiming somewhat believable speeds, but I'm still not sure how this is happening. It goes against everything I studied in telecommunications.
                  Maybe they're just using the 4G/5G radio in their own unique way, but... how?

                    • P
                    • ProMax Ultra
                    • CbK
                    • 30 Jan 2025

                    I wonder if within 40 years from now,can we actually slap the other person through display?

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • Iby
                      • 30 Jan 2025

                      Cool demo, but I doubt that the system will have enough bandwidth for video calls once it goes live. Starlink has thousands of times more satellites and bandwidth, and even they won't promise this, suggesting 1-2Mbps per satellite end user.

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