A prototype satellite that can beam internet to unmodified smartphones has reached a new record, delivering a 14Mbps download rate.
The satellite’s developer, AST SpaceMobile, completed the test last month, which involved beaming the internet to a phone located in a remote area of Maui, Hawaii. The result allowed the phone to conduct a video call using 4G spectrum.
In a separate test this month, a Samsung Galaxy S22 handset was also able to make a phone call from a “wireless dead zone” in Hawaii to Spain using AT&T’s 5G radio spectrum via the orbiting satellite. That’s a bit ironic considering AT&T is still working to bring voice over 5G to its ground-based cellular networks.
Video of the phone call shows the satellite offering clear audio quality. Vodafone and Nokia also helped facilitate the test.
AST SpaceMobile has been powering the space-based phone calls and broadband through the BlueWalker 3 test satellite, which launched last November. The satellite boasts the largest communication array in low-Earth orbit, allowing it to operate as a cell tower in space.
Earlier this year, the BlueWalker 3 satellite completed a phone call using an unspecified radio band and then a 10Mbps download using 4G spectrum. The most recent test shows the technology can also tap 5G radio spectrum from AT&T.
“Since the launch of BlueWalker 3, we have achieved full compatibility with phones made by all major manufacturers and support for 2G, 4G LTE, and now 5G,” said AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan in the announcement.
There’s still no word on other specs, such as latency or coverage limitations. But the technology promises to make it easier for users to access the internet from remote areas. “These speeds, beyond supporting basic voice and text, also enable browsing the internet, downloading files, using messaging apps, streaming video, and more on everyday smartphones,” AST SpaceMobile added.
The goal is to start offering commercial service sometime next year. To build out the network, the company plans on launching five finalized “BlueBird” satellites in the first quarter of 2024. Last month, AST SpaceMobile also announced it had secured another $115 million in financing through loans to help it build additional BlueBird satellites.