LONDON (The Capital Post) — Telecommunications giant Vodafone Group has struck a strategic deal with Amazon Leo, the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite network owned by U.S. e-commerce and cloud provider Amazon, to link its 4G and 5G mobile masts in hard-to-reach regions across Europe and Africa using space-based infrastructure.
Under the collaboration, Vodafone will utilise Amazon Leo’s growing constellation of more than 200 satellites to provide backhaul connectivity for mobile base stations located in rural or otherwise underserved areas. This satellite-assisted solution will allow operators to connect cellular sites without the costly and time-consuming process of laying traditional fibre or microwave links back to the core network.
Vodafone said the arrangement aims to improve network resilience and extend coverage where conventional terrestrial infrastructure is constrained by geography or economics. Early phases of the rollout will begin in Germany before expanding to other European markets, followed by implementation across Africa through Vodafone’s regional subsidiary, Vodacom.
The partnership is part of a broader trend in the telecom industry toward tying terrestrial mobile coverage with space-based systems to bridge connectivity gaps. By harnessing LEO satellite backhaul, Vodafone expects to deliver data rates of up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload to remote sites — speeds competitive with fibre-linked connections but without the need for expensive physical infrastructure.
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In addition to the Amazon Leo agreement, Vodafone is preparing satellite-based direct-to-device services through a separate venture with AST SpaceMobile, which could one day allow ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites when terrestrial signal is unavailable — though a launch date for that service has yet to be confirmed.
This satellite collaboration reflects the industry’s accelerating push toward hybrid networks that combine ground-based mobile systems and space technology to achieve broader and more reliable connectivity, particularly in regions where traditional infrastructure has struggled to reach. – The Capital Post
