Vodafone achieves first space-based video call from rural Wales

A remote part of mid-Wales has become the backdrop for a major technological milestone, as Vodafone successfully made the world’s first space-based video call using a standard mobile phone and satellites designed to deliver full mobile broadband coverage.

Vodafone engineer Rowan Chesmer placed the call from a mountainous region with no prior mobile broadband access, connecting with Vodafone Group Chief Executive Margherita Della Valle.

The breakthrough was demonstrated at Vodafone’s new space-to-land gateway, which processes signals from AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites, allowing seamless mobile connectivity in areas with no existing coverage.

Unlike traditional satellite services, which require specialist equipment, the new technology allows standard 4G and 5G smartphones to switch between terrestrial and satellite networks automatically.

This enables users to make video calls, browse the internet, and send messages in locations where mobile coverage has never been available.

Margherita Della Valle said: “Vodafone’s job is to get everyone connected, no matter where they are. Our advanced European 5G network will now be complemented with cutting-edge satellite technology. We are bringing customers the best network and connecting people who have never had access to mobile communications before.”

British astronaut Tim Peake, who joined Vodafone’s event in Newbury, highlighted the importance of connectivity in remote areas.

“Having spent six months on the International Space Station, I can fully appreciate the value in being able to communicate with family and friends from remote and isolated locations,” he said.

Telecoms Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, welcomed the development as a step towards bridging the UK’s digital divide.

“Since coming into office, I have put digital growth and inclusion at the top of my political agenda. I am thrilled to see Vodafone leveraging satellite connectivity and 5G to help us plug coverage gaps and improve lives across the country.”

AST SpaceMobile, Vodafone’s satellite partner, is behind the BlueBird satellites enabling the service.

Founder and CEO Abel Avellan said: “This historic milestone marks another significant step forward in our partnership with Vodafone. Together, we have achieved several world firsts in space-based broadband connectivity.”

Operating from low Earth orbit, Vodafone’s new satellite service is the only one currently capable of providing mobile broadband directly to standard smartphones.

The technology is designed to complement Vodafone’s existing mobile and fibre networks, extending coverage to hard-to-reach locations such as mountains, rural areas, and even offshore locations.

This latest milestone comes 40 years after Vodafone made the UK’s first-ever mobile phone call, when Michael Harrison called his father, Vodafone’s founder Sir Ernest Harrison, from Parliament Square in London on 1 January 1985.

Following further testing in the coming months, Vodafone plans to roll out the direct-to-smartphone broadband satellite service commercially in parts of Europe later this year and into 2026.