Zimbabwe mobile operator NetOne has reportedly struck a deal with direct-to-device (D2D) LEO satellite operator AST SpaceMobile to expand the reach of its 5G services once the satellite network is available in Africa.
According to the Zimbabwe Independent, NetOne will use AST SpaceMobile’s network to enhance connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach regions.
“We do not segregate those that are in the marginalised areas. We want to make sure that everybody has the same experience as our customers,” NetOne group CEO Raphael Mushanawani told the newspaper. “So, what that means is that we will be able to offer communication without building base stations in rugged areas.”
NetOne launched terrestrial 5G in October 2024, over two years after rival telco Econet launched 5G services in February 2022. How long NetOne will have to wait to be able to offer AST SpaceMobile’s D2D service remains an open question.
AST SpaceMobile launched its first block of five BlueBird satellites in October 2024. According to Space Intel Report, AST SpaceMobile said the satellites – which only provide coverage for the US – are performing as expected. The next block of BlueBird satellites are slated for launch sometime next month. AST SpaceMobile plans to have 60 LEO satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.
AST SpaceMobile has signed over 45 agreements and understandings with mobile network operators, including Globe Telecom and Smart Communications in the Philippines, TIM in Brazil, Zain KSA in Saudi Arabia, Safaricom in Kenya, and Uganda Telecom, among others.
In December 2024 it signed a definitive ten-year commercial agreement with Vodafone Group to roll out its services in Vodafone’s markets worldwide, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, India and Turkey.
