An AT&T-Backed Cellular Satellite Company Sent a 4G LTE Signal From Space

According to AST SpaceMobile, the company managed to successfully transmit a 4G LTE signal from space that was picked up by "everyday, off-the-shelf smartphones." Next, AST will try and transmit a 5G connection via its BlueWalker 3 (BW3) satellite. The Verge reports: Testing was conducted in Hawaii on AT&T's spectrum using Nokia RAN technology, and the signal, which was beamed from AST's satellite in low Earth orbit, reached speeds of up to 10.3Mbps. That's fast enough for some video streaming, general internet use, and more ordinary cell phone usage. AST's testing followed a recent April test by the same company, where it was able to route an audio call between a Samsung Galaxy S22 in Texas to an iPhone in Japan via satellite.

The BW3 is a massive commercial communication array at 693 square feet -- about the size of a two- or three-car garage -- and the largest ever deployed in low Earth orbit, says AST's release. It operates using the same 3GPP standard found in ground-based cell networks. The achievement is "an important step toward AST SpaceMobile's goal of bringing broadband services to parts of the world where cellular coverage is either unreliable or simply does not exist today," according to AST's chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan, who said this would allow users to text and call, browse the internet, download files, and even stream video using a signal beamed from space.

Awesome

[liqu1d]

Now theyâ(TM)ve done that can they fix my local cell tower? Itâ(TM)s on the ground should be easy

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

No. No they can't.

"Fix"? Just add $ and stir.

[OneOfMany07]

They spend the minimum necessary to keep people using their service.

Better coverage is just another cell site away. But the people who want more coverage have no way to measure or impact changes that would fix it. I can't push Verizon or AT&T to install more sites near me, or where I go.

They know where they can't service people (or should). They don't care.

Re:

[omnichad]

They spend the minimum necessary to keep people using their service.

Right - most of the copper they are responsible for is nearly or over 100 years old. Unless they get a handout, they're not touching it.

Next 5G

[Anonymous Coward]

Be careful not to transmit 5G signals from space, otherwise you'll start seeing antivaxxers with flaming torches applying to become astronauts.

Re:

[DragoonPantaloon]

You think that's scary? 4G is 6GHz, 5G is 30-300 GHz Visible light, though? That poison is 400,000-800,000 GHz.

In space, now everyone will hear you scream...

[Roger W Moore]

...but probably only about the roaming charges.

Costs

[Smonster]

Okay, but unless it is cheaper than their $100 per billing period for international service, this is niche at best. Most everywhere there are people there is already coverage. Ca satellites really be cheaper than laying fiber and building towers? Also the latency can not be nearly as low as terrestrial coverage, which further limites it’s comparative utility. I mean if you spend a lot of time in the wilderness or on a ship in the ocean this could be useful. There are use cases for sure. But is servic

Cost effective?

[doubledown00]

I wonder if running some of these space towers is cheaper than all the leases required for terrestrial towers.
Regardless what interesting times we live in when a device you have in your pocket is capable of sending a signal to space! Compare that to satellite phones from even just 5 - 10 years ago.