Satellite connectivity has turned out to be a bit of a tough issue for Android, but now Google is throwing some weight behind the effort with an investment in “AST SpaceMobile.”
Android 14 introduced support for satellite connectivity natively in the operating system, but the functionality hasn’t been available so far. Qualcomm made a big effort with satellite connectivity for Android phones, but ultimately ended up canning the project as no one was using it. Only T-Mobile and Starlink, so far, have delivered satellite connectivity that works on Android.
Now, it seems Google and others are working towards a new effort.
“AST SpaceMobile” is an effort to develop a satellite-based network for smartphones that would work beyond existing land-based infrastructure. In a press release earlier this month, AST SpaceMobile announced that it had new investment from Google, AT&T, and Vodafone to help bring the network to users.
This network, which already exists using BlueWalker 3 satellites in low-Eath orbit, has already managed to run calls over 2G, 4G, and 5G, as well as internet connections at up to 14Mbps, all direct to device from satellites. The company has plans to offer even faster speeds, apparently up to 120Mbps.
It’s specifically called out in the press release that AST SpaceMobile and Google will be collaborating to bring satellite connectivity to Android in time.
Google and AST SpaceMobile agreed to collaborate on product development, testing and implementation plans for SpaceMobile network connectivity on Android and related devices.
However, there’s no word on when any of this will really come to life.
More on Android:
- OnePlus 12 launches globally for $799
- Gboard preps ‘Seamless voice typing’ that lets you instantly start talking
- Qualcomm kills Snapdragon Satellite since Android phones aren’t using it
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