LONDON – Telecommunications giant Vodafone announced Monday it has struck a partnership agreement with Amazon Leo, the tech company’s satellite constellation operating in low Earth orbit, to provide internet connectivity to cellular towers located in isolated regions throughout Europe and Africa.
The satellite service will deliver internet speeds reaching 1 Gbps for downloads and 400 Mbps for uploads, allowing Vodafone to connect its network infrastructure to towers situated in difficult-to-access areas without the costly process of laying fiber optic cables, according to the telecommunications company.
The mobile carrier plans to begin utilizing Amazon Leo’s satellite technology for connecting cellular base stations in Germany and additional European nations during 2024, with plans to expand the service throughout Africa via its Vodacom division in subsequent phases.
According to Vodafone, Amazon Leo currently operates more than 200 satellites in space, with hundreds of additional units constructed and prepared for deployment.
In a separate initiative, Vodafone intends to provide satellite connectivity directly to consumer smartphones through a collaboration with AST SpaceMobile, though the company has not announced a launch timeline for this service.
