Vodafone taps Amazon satellites to connect Europe and Africa

Vodafone (VOD.L) announced a deal with Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, Amazon Leo, to connect its 4G and 5G mobile masts in hard-to-reach areas across Europe and Africa.

The partnership will allow Vodafone to deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 400 Mbps to remote mobile sites, avoiding the high cost of laying fiber connections, the company said, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Vodafone plans to start using Amazon Leo this year to connect base stations in Germany and other European countries, with gradual expansion across Africa through its subsidiary, Vodacom (VODJ.J).

Amazon Leo currently operates over 200 satellites, with hundreds more under construction or ready for launch, Vodafone noted.

In a separate initiative, Vodafone also aims to offer satellite connectivity directly to customers using standard smartphones via its partnership with AST SpaceMobile, though no start date has been announced.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada