Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have embarked on two new partnerships in the field of mobile communication via satellite. Collaborating with the University of Málaga, the two companies will establish a new space and land-based mobile broadband research and validation center. Additionally, a new company to be established under the name SatCo will provide consumers and businesses with secure mobile broadband connection by offering 100% coverage across Europe.

Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile have entered into a new partnership in satellite-based broadband technology. The two companies have signed an agreement to establish a joint European satellite service operation to provide satellite-based mobile broadband technology, designed for commercial and government applications and directly accessible via smartphones, to all mobile network operators in Europe.

The new company, named SatCo, aims to ensure 100% geographic coverage across Europe, offering consumers and businesses a secure satellite-based mobile broadband connection through mobile network operators. Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle stated, “Vodafone’s satellite-based mobile broadband technology will ensure our customers stay connected wherever they are. Our new satellite company will be able to offer this technology to other European mobile operators through a turnkey service combining this technology with Vodafone’s network and engineering expertise and AST SpaceMobile’s ‘antennas in the sky’.” AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan also noted, “We are ready to expedite our commercial plans across Europe with Vodafone and take an important step towards realizing satellite-based mobile broadband.”

Establishment of Research Center in Collaboration with University
Vodafone, AST SpaceMobile, and the University of Málaga are set to establish a new space and land-based mobile broadband research and validation center in Europe. Supported by the Spanish Space Agency, the center will be located within the Vodafone Innovation Center in Málaga and will open in the summer of 2025.

The center will develop integrated mobile broadband services for low earth orbit space and land-based services. This will enable customers to seamlessly transition between satellite and 4G/5G networks using their existing smartphones. The center will adopt the Open Radio Access Network (RAN) principles to encourage setting common standards in Europe and establish a new space/land ecosystem fostering unified satellite and land connection solutions, inviting third-party technology companies and developers alongside Vodafone’s partners AST SpaceMobile and the University of Málaga.

The center will focus on new and open source hardware, software, process chip design, and their testing and validation, enabling interoperability between space and land-based networks. The center will accommodate a network gateway from space to land.

Through this project, partners and operators will have an opportunity to test and validate services over AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites before commercially launching them, fostering collaborations that will accelerate innovation and deliver universal connectivity services more rapidly and efficiently across the industry. Vodafone will transform this center into a fully managed network and service operations center for third-party companies in Europe.

Moreover, Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have also signed an agreement to establish a new company that will provide satellite services directly to devices. This venture will distribute AST SpaceMobile’s satellite services to European mobile network operators under a single turnkey arrangement. Supported by Vodafone’s advanced engineering expertise, it will be backed by a network management and operations center infrastructure in Europe. SatCo will build a network of ground stations for mobile network operators across Europe and relay data from this network to the low earth orbit satellite network.

First Space-Based Mobile Video Call
In January, Vodafone successfully conducted the world’s first space-based mobile video call in a region without mobile coverage using AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites, a significant step towards providing mobile coverage to its 340 million customers in 15 countries and network partners in 45 markets. Vodafone is leading the introduction of commercial space-based mobile broadband across Europe in 2025 and 2026.

Recently, Vodafone Turkey executed successful voice call and SMS tests over the BlueWalker3 test satellite belonging to AST SpaceMobile, marking a significant milestone in Turkey and globally after the tests conducted by AST in the United States. AST SpaceMobile offers the only satellite technology that provides mobile broadband directly to numerous 4G or 5G smartphones without any special software or device support, seamlessly functioning as an extension of Vodafone’s land-based networks.

The satellite functions as a complementary technology providing coverage in areas where no other mobile or fixed alternatives are available. The combined satellite service and land-based network will offer a readily available communication infrastructure across Europe, including mountainous areas and seas, enhancing overall resilience.