On Wednesday, engineers placed the space-based call from a mountainside in west Wales using Android devices to connect with Group CEO Margherita Della Valle. The company plans to introduce direct-to-smartphone satellite capabilities across Britain by late 2025, followed by a Europe-wide rollout in 2026.
Della Valle emphasized that this system expands on technology previously limited to SOS Emergency texts available on certain iPhones, potentially fixing the "not spots" that Ofcom, the U.K. telecom regulator, indicates impact 9 percent of Britain's landmass, or around 8,500 square miles.
"It's a really important moment because we are opening the door to universal connectivity, to connecting people in the U.K., wherever they are," she said. However, she clarified that the new service is intended to supplement existing ground-based infrastructure, not to replace it.
Although definitive mobile data speeds on the U.S.-developed AST SpaceMobile satellite network have yet to be announced, Vodafone expects faster performance than typical Low-Earth-Orbit satellite services. Similar to conventional satellite phones, a direct line of sight to the satellite is essential, and environmental conditions can affect signal strength.
Forty years after its first mobile phone call on Jan. 1, 1985, Vodafone remains focused on connectivity advances. "We're proud to continue our legacy as the Nation's Network by bringing connectivity to all parts of the U.K.," said Max Taylor, chief executive of Vodafone U.K. "The use of satellites in conjunction with our land-based network will ensure customers have the coverage they deserve. We're excited to have successfully tested the technology and look forward to making it more widely available in the U.K."
Before the service can be fully implemented, Vodafone will need regulatory approval in the U.K., in addition to launching more satellites into orbit. Meanwhile, the company is finalizing a $19 billion merger with Three, owned by Hong Kong's CK Hutchison Holdings. The Competition and Markets Authority greenlighted the deal in December, after 18 months of negotiations.
The new entity will serve roughly one-third of the U.K.'s 83 million mobile subscribers, with Vodafone holding a 51 percent stake and retaining the option to buy Hutchison's remaining 49 percent in three years. Under the merger, the companies have pledged to invest $13.7 billion to create an advanced 5G network capable of meeting ever-increasing demands driven by emerging technologies like AI.
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