First direct-to-satellite phone call in South Africa

MTN South Africa and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite service company Lynk Global carried out a successful technical trial of one of the first satellite-to-mobile device phone calls in South Africa.

The phone call, made in Vryburg, North West, allowed the companies to test voice call quality and SMS capabilities over an LEO satellite connection.

It was conducted following Icasa’s approval of the use of radio frequencies on MTN-licensed IMT spectrum for the duration of the trial.

“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 South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi.

Molapisi said the call was 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% broadband population coverage but most importantly, benefit all South Africans,” Molapisi said.

Lynk Global chief commercial officer Dan Dooley said the successful trial was the first time that a satellite phone call was made in Africa using an unmodified phone.

“Importantly, this technology is device-agnostic, ensuring compatibility with existing mobile units and requiring no special modifications,” the companies said.

Satellite calls via older geosynchronous (GEO) satellites require expensive devices with specialised antennas and modems to enable transmission of data between Earth and GEO satellites orbiting at an altitude of 35,786km.

MTN said that LEO satellites typically orbit at altitudes between 160 km and 2,000 km, meaning that their orbital periods are between 90 minutes and a few hours.

“This is suitable for applications that need rapid data communication or frequent re-visits of specific areas,” the company said.

“The lower altitude contributes to lower signal travel times, resulting in lower latency. This is crucial for real-time communication, video conferencing and online gaming.”

The mobile network added that direct satellite-to-phone contact offered several other potential benefits, including mass notification capabilities for critical alerts such as weather warnings, health advisories, and humanitarian updates in remote areas.

Below are photos from MTN and Lynk Global’s satellite-to-mobile phone call trial.