Ofcom’s latest satellite decision will help VodafoneThree bring mobile connectivity to rural parts of the UK where even the Shared Rural Network can’t reach.
A direct satellite-to-smartphone mobile service in the UK from VodafoneThree is now one step closer to reality, following a key decision by Ofcom. The UK’s telecommunications regulator is allowing VodafoneThree to use radio waves in the 900MHz band for the upcoming service.
Unlike some other satellite-to-phone services, the upcoming service from VodafoneThree can be used for more than just basic data. It will enable connectivity capable of data, voice and SMS and can thus help close the rural connectivity gap by complementing the company’s traditional ground-based network of masts in parts of the country where building such masts is impractical.
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900MHz radio waves are a good fit for use in VodafoneThree’s upcoming direct satellite-to-device mobile service as it can cover long distances compared to radio waves in other parts of the spectrum. 900MHz radio waves had previously been used for 3G services, illustrating one of the advantages of retiring that older, slower and less efficient technology so that its radio waves could be reused for more modern services.
The Low Earth Orbit satellites from AST SpaceMobile will use a separate radio link to connect to VodafoneThree ground stations, which are then connected to both VodafoneThree’s core networks and the wider internet by fibre optic cables.
VodafoneThree’s direct satellite-to-device service will commence customer trials later in 2026. All of this builds upon Vodafone Group’s historic first-ever space-based video call using 4G/5G smartphones, over a satellite built to offer a full mobile broadband experience, in a total not-spot area. This milestone took place back in January 2025.
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