Shares in Vodafone’s satellite partner AST SpaceMobile rose 20 per cent today before a small pullback after the company posted strong second-quarter results and highlighted progress with key partnerships.

AST SpaceMobile, the company that is developing a system of low earth orbit satellites to enable satellite calls from regular smart phones, has partnered with  Vodafone Idea to expand mobile connectivity across India using space-based cellular broadband. Vodafone Ideas is a joint venture between AST SpaceMobile to bring space-based mobile broadband to remote regions of

European satellite connectivity startup Constellation Technologies & Operations and the European Space Agency will carry out joint Low Earth Orbit (LEO) trials to test 5G connectivity. The satellite is due to launch in next month.

Vodafone key partner AST SpaceMobile has received government permission test its satellite-to-cellular service in the United States. 

Regulator outlines three potential authorisation routes as Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile lead UK charge in satellite-to-smartphone connectivity Ofcom has launched a consultation on proposals to authorise the use of mobile spectrum bands for satellite Direct-to-Device (D2D) services — a move that could transform mobile connectivity in rural and remote areas of the UK. Says Ofcom:

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile Sign Agreement to Create European Direct-To-Device Satellite Service Provider Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile have signed an agreement to create a jointly-owned European satellite service business to serve network operators Europe. AST is building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by any smartphone for both commercial and government application, The

Vodafone is taking mobile connectivity to new heights—literally.  The company isto open Europe’s first dedicated research hub in Malaga for integrating low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite and land-based mobile broadband services. This initiative will enable seamless switching between 4G/5G networks and satellite connections using standard smartphones. The Málaga hub will focus on designing, testing, and

T-Mobile and Starlink, have launched a free-to-use public beta of a service that connects just anout any smartphone with Starlink satellites to achieve a call connection practically anywhere in the USA. The availablility of the service comes less than two weeks after Vodafone demonstrated a satellite video call from a regular smartphone using AST SpaceMobile’s

Following the success of the first LEO satellite-routed video call using a regular 4G/5G device, Vodafone plans to roll out Europe’s first commercial direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service in 2025-2026, expanding network coverage to rural and underserved areas across the continent. Operating from low Earth orbit, Vodafone says its satellite service using AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites

20-satellites to bring 4G and 5G to 16 billion people