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Mobile operator VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) has issued an update on their Joint Venture (SatCo) with satellite operator AST SpaceMobile, which reveals that they’ll kick off their first customer trials of a space-based 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) service – that can connect with regular Smartphones – this Summer 2026.
In case anybody has forgotten. AST SpaceMobile has previously conducted technical trials of a prototype 1.5-ton BlueWalker 3 (here) satellite that orbits at an altitude of a little over 500km and features a huge 693-square-foot (64.4-square-meter) phased array antenna (here). The satellite was specifically designed for sending and receiving mobile signals between the space-based platform and regular mobile handsets – Direct-to-Device (DtD).
The platform was originally developed with support from Vodafone and thus nobody was surprised to see the pair signing a long-term commercial agreement at the end of 2024 (here), which will run until at least 2034. This will support AST’s efforts toward launching a total of 100 similar satellites (BlueBirds) over the next few years (future models will be much larger – 3.5 times bigger – and more capable).
So far, the company has about 6 active satellites in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and they’re aiming to reach 45–60 satellites launched by the end of 2026, which should be enough to deliver continuous coverage across the United States and select markets like the United Kingdom. For its part, Vodafone has already demonstrated a live mobile-to-mobile video call via the new service (here) and they now expect to begin customer trials this summer.
The news follows the launch of Satellite Connect Europe, which is a service provider of open access D2D satellite connectivity and VodafoneThree will be the first UK customer to trial SCE’s services. Headquartered in Luxembourg, and a joint venture between Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile, SCE will drive the deployment of five Europe-based ground stations as well as support Vodafone’s wider European objectives to ensure next-gen satellite broadband services comply with relevant spectrum legislation and frameworks.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer of VodafoneThree, said:
“This partnership with Satellite Connect Europe supports our ambition to deliver direct-to-device satellite connectivity capable of data, voice, and SMS to our customers, leading to the elimination of coverage gaps in hard-to-reach and remote areas, as well as supporting the closing of the digital divide. At VodafoneThree, we are absolutely committed to connecting our customers in every nation, in every community, and in every corner of the UK.”
The announcement of VodafoneThree’s first customer trials comes only a few days after rival O2 UK (Virgin Media) became one of the first mobile operators in Europe to go live on Starlink’s latest Direct to Cell (DtC) satellite network via its new O2 Satellite service (here), which will directly compete with the Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile solution.
The O2 Satellite service costs just £3 per month extra to add to an existing airtime plan and will initially offer fairly basic text messaging and limited data/specific app connectivity. But it’s expected to improve significantly as more advanced satellites are launched over the next couple of years.
At present we don’t know what kind of final service performance, features and prices we can expect from AST’s initial network, but it’s likely to be fairly limited at launch and competing with O2’s pricing could also be a challenge. In both cases the goal is to tackle notspots and patches of weak signal coverage, which could be particularly handy in remote rural areas and during terrestrial network outages.
On the flip side, all these new D2D networks are also something that may be giving both radio and observational astronomers a few sleepless nights, as the rapid growth of such things risk disrupting their research work.