JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) –
MTN South Africa and Lynk Global have carried out Africa’s first satellite-to-mobile device phone call, in the sparsely populated North West province.
The call in Vryburg enabled MTN and Lynk Global to test voice call quality and SMS capabilities over a low-earth orbit LEO satellite connection.
“The technical trial was part of our work to find potential solutions to the challenges of providing coverage in underserviced, rural and remote areas,” said MTN SA Chief Executive Officer Charles Molapisi.
He said the call marked a proof of concept of MTN’s ability to complement its ground-based cell towers and other infrastructure with LEOs.
“The implications of potentially leveraging satellite partnerships will not only help MTN achieve its goal of 99-percent broadband population coverage, but most importantly benefit all South Africans,” Molapisi added.
Lynk Global is a LEO satellite provider.
Experts note NEO satellites typically orbit Earth at altitudes of 160 and 2 000 km, meaning that orbital periods are between 90 minutes and a few hours.
Lower altitude contributes to lower signal travel times, resulting in lower latency. This is seen as crucial for real-time communication, video conferencing and online gaming.
Increased use of satellite technology means that the cost of launching a 1kg payload into space has reduced from around US$85 000 per kg in the 1980s to about $1 000 today.
Dan Dooley, Lynk Global Chief Commercial Officer, said the successful trial reinforced the effectiveness of Lynk’s technology to connect people anywhere in the world.
“This marks the first satellite-to-unmodified-mobile phone call made on the African continent,” Dooley said.
by MTHULISI SIBANDA
To submit a release, contact us here.
