Smart, AST SpaceMobile to test new cellular technology

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc.’s wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. is set to test space-based cellular broadband technology in partnership with US-based AST SpaceMobile.

Smart and AST SpaceMobile plan to conduct tests of the latter’s BlueWalker 3 satellite, which is being designed to communicate directly with unmodified mobile phones from low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.

Smart is the first telco  to test this technology in the country.

AST SpaceMobile is a company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between Smart and AST SpaceMobile in July last year to explore opportunities to extend SpaceMobile cellular broadband connectivity to the Philippines after the service is launched.

Smart and AST SpaceMobile have expressed their support for the government’s overall thrust to provide connectivity to Filipinos across the country, including those in far-flung areas.

“PLDT and Smart have always been at the forefront of innovation, and we are always ready to work hand-in-hand with government to support its thrust to connect more Filipinos across the country and help revitalize the post-pandemic digital economy,” Smart head of regulatory affairs Roy Ibay said.

PLDT and global satellite operator Telesat of Canada earlier this year also successfully conducted the Philippines’ first on-orbit testing of high-speed broadband connectivity with Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite.

This marked another milestone for PLDT as the country’s first local service provider to conduct live in-orbit test over LEO satellite using an end-user terminal installed at the PLDT facility in Greenhills.

PLDT and Smart’s foray into satellite-powered communication is part of a broader initiative to deliver world-class customer services across the country, complementing the nationwide rollout of their fiber optics, and wireless networks based on 4G and 5G technologies.

Department of Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic said the digital divide is a massive concern that was further highlighted by the restrictions brought about by the pandemic.

Given the country’s archipelagic nature, he said deploying typical terrestrial broadband infrastructure across the Philippines has been a challenge, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

“Fortunately, newer technologies in satellites are capable of providing much-needed cellular connectivity with more flexibility in their deployment,” Caintic said.