November 2024: Some newer companies are exploring direct space-to-phone communication. These include SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile. “Sat phones have long been the gold standard for those needing connectivity in remote conditions. They are expensive to use, with rates normally running to dollars per minute. But they provide coverage in the middle of the ocean, up in the air or deep in the woods. Midland, Texas-based AST is promising to turn any ordinary cellphone, like the one in your pocket right now, into a satellite phone. They aim to do that by connecting it directly to a network of specially designed satellites parked in low-Earth orbit.”
The RNL’s Dr. Humphreys claims that the key behind using an unmodified phone for the process it to pretend that the satellite is a base station that pre-compensates for extra delays and Doppler. The main challenges are power, velocity, and delay. AST space mobile solves power by using a large antenna, according to Dr. Humphreys. For more details on the story, visit the Investor’s Business Daily article here.
