SSIT Portfolio Company AST SpaceMobile has reached a groundbreaking milestone for access to cellular broadband globally, supported by partners Vodafone, Rakuten and AT&T. AST SpaceMobile have made the world's first space-based cellular voice calls directly to every day, unmodified smartphones. 

Today (25.04.23) the team at AST SpaceMobile, Texas, reported that their engineers successfully completed the first-ever two-way voice calls directly from everyday unmodified smartphones using the BlueWalker 3 test satellite. This is the first time a direct voice connection has been achieved from space to everyday cellular devices, demonstrating a significant advancement in AST SpaceMobile’s mission to provide connectivity to the nearly 50% of the global population who remain unconnected from cellular broadband. 

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices based on our extensive IP and patent portfolio. Their engineers and space scientists are on a mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s five billion mobile subscribers and finally bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230425005532/en/AST-SpaceMobile-Makes-History-in-Cellular-Connectivity-Completing-the-First-Ever-Space-Based-Voice-Call-Using-Everyday-Unmodified-Smartphones