Vodafone, Rakuten launch SpaceMobile network
March 3, 2020
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Vodafone and Rakuten have joined forces to launch SpaceMobile, the world’s first mobile broadband network located in space, to widen the mobile coverage around the globe.
Joined by AST and Science, both partners will invest €115 million, along with other companies including American Tower, Cisneros, Samsung Next and the founder of the project Abel Avellán, to implement this satellite network (Low Earth Orbit) that will directly connect with smartphones.
AST and Science already successfully tested its SpaceMobile technology on the BlueWalker 1 satellite, launched in April 2019. Vodafone has also entered into a strategic alliance with AST & Science for the global deployment of SpaceMobile, providing its technical and operational experience. SpaceMobile will offer 4G and 5G services.