Branded SpaceMobile, the low-Earth-orbit (LEO), low-latency satellite network is being developed by the Texas-based AST & Science and will be the first in the world to connect directly to standard smartphones.
The firm said users can expect comparable data rates to networks running on terrestrial towers and they will seamlessly transfer between the two.
In addition to its investment in AST & Science, Vodafone has agreed to contribute technical, operational and regulatory expertise in support of the global deployment of SpaceMobile.
The technology could be particularly useful in rural areas, where setting up networks of broadcasting towers to provide coverage for just a small number of people can prove costly. For 5G, and to a lesser extent 4G, the radius of coverage from each tower is significantly reduced from previous generations.
Vodafone currently has mobile operations in 24 countries and partners with mobile networks in 42 more.
“SpaceMobile...