- Vodafone Idea partners with AST SpaceMobile to offer satellite-based mobile coverage across India.
- The service aims to connect users in rural and remote locations without traditional cellular networks.
What happened: Satellite-to-phone trial leads to partnership
Vodafone Idea (Vi) has signed a deal with US-based satellite communications firm AST SpaceMobile to introduce satellite-to-mobile connectivity in India. The partnership will allow mobile users to make calls and access data services without traditional cell towers. This announcement follows successful trials in which AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 satellite completed a two-way voice call between the US and Japan using a standard 4G smartphone.
Vi’s Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, P. Balaji, confirmed the agreement and said the service would address connectivity gaps in rural and remote parts of India. It will rely on low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver coverage where no ground infrastructure exists. The companies are now working with Indian regulators to secure approvals before deployment.
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Why it’s important
This deal helps reduce India’s digital gap. Many parts of rural India still do not have good mobile coverage. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) says over 300 million people in India live in places with weak or no mobile signal. Satellite networks let telecom companies reach places where building towers is hard or costs too much.
AST SpaceMobile has also signed deals with AT&T and Vodafone Group. Its BlueWalker satellite has a 693-square-foot array. This is one of the biggest communication arrays in low Earth orbit.
This technology has problems. The rules and costs are still not clear. Prices and phone support are main concerns. India’s Department of Telecommunications must approve the spectrum and give licences.
Vi now faces other companies in this field. Jio works with SES. Starlink, led by Elon Musk, is also in the market. These offer only internet. Vi and AST’s system allows phone calls too. This gives them a different place in the market.
