, there isn’t yet a satellite broadband service that can reach regular smartphones. That’s the kind of thing that would allow cell companies to provide blanket coverage throughout the whole country. And this is the service that AST SpaceMobile is trying to build.
In the press release, Chris Sambar, head of AT&T says, “Successfully reaching double-digit download speeds during satellite-to-smartphone testing takes us one step closer to ensuring people across the United States will be able to stay connected no matter their location.” Deploying this kind of technology means that in most locations, your smartphone would still connect to ground-based cell towers, but when you’re driving through the Sierra Nevadas or Rocky Mountains, it would be able to connect to a satellite in low-Earth orbit. Apparently, AST SpaceMobile already has “agreements and understandings” with over 35 global cellular providers.
To achieve its latest success, AST SpaceMobile relied on its BlueWalker 3 satellite, which it says is “the largest-ever commercial communications array deployed in low-Earth orbit.” It’s now fully deployed and spans 693 square feet. It was able to beam its 4G LTE signal to cellphones in Hawaii over AT&T’s network. Next, the company wants to achieve 5G speeds.