Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have announced joint plans to create a European satellite constellation that will provide direct communication between satellites and smartphones for commercial and government needs. This was reported by Reuters.
The operations center of the future satellite constellation is planned to be opened in Germany – options for a location near Munich or Hanover are currently being considered.
The initiative will be implemented by a joint venture between Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile. According to company representatives, the German center will provide mobile communications for operators across Europe, support broadband Internet, and also play an important role in the field of civil protection and disaster response.
The satellite constellation will be equipped with a “command switch”, which will be responsible for control, security and encryption of communications, as well as management of satellites that will be located above Europe.
The project was presented shortly after Elon Musk’s Starlink company signed an agreement with telecommunications group Veon to launch direct cellular communication, which could provide SpaceX with access to about 150 million users in Veon’s markets.
Vodafone reported that operators from 21 European Union countries have already expressed interest in this technology, which allows transmitting mobile signals directly from satellites in space to Earth.
The commercial launch of the satellite system is scheduled for 2026. Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle emphasized that this “sovereign satellite solution” will provide operators in Europe with secure satellite communications that will complement existing terrestrial networks. According to forecasts, the satellite telephony market could exceed $ 10 billion by 2033.
