Britain's Vodafone mobile network successfully tested a direct-to-smartphone satellite phone service as part of an effort to get around the long-standing problem of weak or "no signal" that plagues mo

Vodafone said it had made the world's first video call via satellite using a standard smartphone from a remote location, and it plans to roll out the technology for its users across Europe later this year and in 2026.

Vodafone has carried out what it says is the UK's first satellite-enabled smartphone video call. The company says the call - made from a mountain in Ceredigion, west Wales - is part of the process of adding satellite connectivity to its UK phone network by the end of the year, and across Europe in 2026.

The BlueBird satellites were able to relay the video call from a Vodafone engineer while he was based in a remote mountain region in the UK.

Vodafone has demonstrated the capabilities of a new satellite network by making what it calls the "world's first" satellite video call, albeit with some caveats. The company used partner AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird satellites specifically designed to transmit 4G/5G mobile broadband signals from space.