American telecommunications provider Verizon announced on Monday that it has trialled a live video call between two mobile devices—one connected via AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird satellite and the other via Verizon's terrestrial network. The test follows recent approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), allowing AST SpaceMobile to trial satellite connections using Verizon's spectrum.
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Satellite Connectivity Expansion
This approval enables AST SpaceMobile's first five commercial BlueBird satellites, operating in low Earth orbit, to test satellite connections with smartphones supporting voice, full data and video applications, and other native cellular capabilities.
Verizon stated that its network reaches over 99 percent of the US population, catering to current wireless communications needs. To complement its network coverage, Verizon, in collaboration with AST is "building the fastest satellite-to-device network with text, voice and live video calling capability."
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Connectivity Beyond Terrestrial Networks
"This breakthrough marks a new era in cellular to satellite connectivity in the United States that enables seamless data transmissions – not just texts - in the rare instance a terrestrial cellular network is not available," said Chairman and CEO of Verizon.
"Adding this layer of ability – not only to text someone, but to be able to call, video chat, or send files - whether in the wilderness or in a remote part of a lake community, will only enhance the reliability of our customers' connectivity and communication experience," he added.
