Normally, cellphones aren’t able to connect directly to satellites. Usually cellphones connect to cell towers and relay their signals between towers.

AT&T, Vodaphone, and Rakuten have teamed to connect a call from Midland, Texas to Japan. An ordinary Samsung Galaxy S22 and an iPhone were used for placing the call. This is notable because NO CELL TOWERS were used. Only a satellite.

AST SpaceMobile announced the BlueWalker3 satellite connected the call from low Earth orbit. The satellite can receive cellphone signals from 1,000 miles using an array 100,000 antenna elements.

Normally, satellites use a different frequency band for communications. BlueWalker3’s accomplishment is notable because it used standard cellular signals to connect the call. This is groundbreaking because it could open more opportunities for global communications where underground wires and expensive towers would normally be built.

BW3 is a LARGE satellite. The satellite spans 693 square feet and is the largest commercial satellite built. AT&T has been sketchy on the quality and performance of the call. What we do know is that the call was made over 2G wireless. AT&T says they’ll be working on 3G calls next and hopefully 5G and beyond will be on the horizon.