Launch of a New Research and Validation Center for Mobile Broadband in Space and Terrestrial for Europe

Vodafone announced today that it will open Europe's first research center dedicated to the development of integrated terrestrial and space mobile broadband services in low Earth orbit, allowing customers to seamlessly switch between satellite and 4G/5G networks using their existing smartphones.

This hub, set to open in the summer and located at Vodafone's European innovation center in Malaga, has received initial funding from the Spanish Space Agency. The University of Malaga and AST SpaceMobile are Vodafone's main partners in the project, which has invited other tech companies and external developers to join, fostering a new European ecosystem of combined terrestrial and satellite connectivity solutions.

The center is based on Vodafone's historic first mobile space video call, which used this service on January 27, 2025, and supports the company's goal of providing ubiquitous mobile coverage to its 340 million customers in 15 countries and its network partners in 45 additional markets. Vodafone is leading the introduction of direct-to-smartphone mobile broadband satellite connectivity across Europe in late 2025 and 2026.

Partnerships

Vodafone Group Network Director Alberto Ripepi stated that as society becomes more digital, the need to close coverage gaps increases. "Vodafone, together with AST SpaceMobile and the University of Malaga, will forge partnerships with like-minded organizations to build harmonious space and terrestrial networks that meet Europe's ambitious goals for ubiquitous digital connectivity."

Chris Ivory, Chief Commercial Officer of AST SpaceMobile, expressed his commitment to this joint collaboration, which will drive "our shared vision of providing space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to everyday smartphones everywhere, leveraging our innovative satellite technology with the largest commercial communication arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit."

Malaga's Tech Ecosystem

"This collaboration is a testament to the strength of Malaga's tech ecosystem, to which the University of Malaga continues to contribute decisively with its researchers, students, and graduating engineers," said Rafael Godoy, Director of the School of Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Malaga.

Godoy explained that this UMA center has been enhancing activity around satellite technologies for several years. "In addition to teaching and research, for example, we have had a student project (K-SAT) competing nationally for 3 years, which has always been awarded during this period, among many other initiatives made possible by the level of researchers and teachers at the University in this field."

Therefore, in this new R&D and validation center for space and terrestrial mobile broadband for Europe, the University of Malaga will host part of the joint laboratory, involving both research groups and students of the institution. 

Faster and More Efficient Universal Connectivity

Vodafone's center will specifically focus on designing, testing, and validating new hardware, software, and open-source processing chips that can operate interchangeably on space and terrestrial networks. It will house a space-to-ground gateway, like the one Vodafone used for its successful direct video call from space to the device, allowing its partners and other operators to test and validate their connected services to AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird satellites before launching them commercially.

By allowing other operators and providers to test services through the center, Vodafone is fostering industry-wide collaboration that will drive innovation and provide faster and more efficient universal connectivity. Ultimately, Vodafone will expand the center into a fully managed network and service operations hub for third-party companies across Europe.