Maverick telecom newcomer UbiquitiLink launched a “cell tower in space,” reports MobileWorldLive.com. “We are testing 2G now from orbit and we will test LTE later this year with our second launch,” said CEO Charles Miller. “Our cell towers in space will be designed to change frequencies and protocols as they travel over different countries. Our MNO partners in each country will choose the frequency and the protocol.”
The project has been underway since 2017, with the coup de grace delivered earlier this month, as astronauts on the International Space Station assisted with the final assembly. They completed the satellite and secured it to the nose of the Cygnus resupply ship.
So far, 18 mobile operators have partnered with UbiquitiLink. The agreement spans 53 countries. Miller described the satellite as a, “global shared roaming service” that would be a major asset in the event of a large scale emergency. “If there’s a hurricane, tsunami or earthquake, this is instant back–up,” he explained.
Miller expects to have UbiquitiLink ready for commercial deployment in 2020. Anticipating the advance to 5G technology, he claims that with his company’s early start, “we will be ready to provide 5G coverage directly to the phone.” Of the company’s achievement, he added, “We have done what many people thought was impossible.”
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February 26, 2019
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