Samsung Galaxy S22 was used for the test
AST SpaceMobile and AT&T announced that they had made the first two-way voice call via satellite using regular smartphones. The call came to a number in the network of the Japanese operator Ratuken.
It is reported that the regular version of the Samsung Galaxy S22 was used for the call, and the data went through the BlueWalker 3 satellite, which is owned by AST SpaceMobile.
Made the first two-way voice call via satellite using a regular smartphone
As noted, the use of satellites can be an important step towards expanding cellular coverage not only in the US, but also in other countries. So, many rural areas of the United States still remain “dead zones” for coverage by mobile towers. Therefore, the new project will improve the quality of communication.
The same can be said about developing countries, where there are few repeaters. In this case, satellites can act as a replacement for ground base stations and provide coverage from 2G to 5G.
While the source does not say how expensive such a connection will be, it is also unclear when it will be launched in full and in which regions.
However, in 2021, the American mobile operator Verizon entered into an agreement with the Amazon Project Kuiper provider for similar services. And T-Mobile is developing a similar project with SpaceX, which has already put more than 4,000 Starlink satellites into orbit.
