Chinese Firm Completes Direct-to-Cell Satellite Call Trial

Beijing (ANTARA) - A Chinese satellite internet company has achieved a significant technological milestone by successfully completing trials for direct-to-cell voice calls using standard, unmodified commercial smartphones.

The company, Spacesail, announced on Friday (19/6) that this marks the first trial of its kind in China. Based in Shanghai, eastern China, the firm revealed that all communication connections remained smooth and stable throughout the testing, producing excellent voice quality.

Earlier this month, China launched the Zhuque-2E carrier rocket, which carried two satellites, including the Spacesail DTC 01. This test satellite is designed to verify key technologies for direct-to-cell services and integrated space-to-Earth networks, supporting the convergence of satellite communications with 5G/6G networks.

Their direct-to-cell technology requires no hardware or software modifications to standard commercial smartphones, and field tests demonstrated full signal strength and voice quality comparable to terrestrial 5G. Furthermore, its high compatibility with existing cellular networks paves the way for deeply integrated space-to-Earth communications, according to the company.

As of 5 June, the Spacesail Constellation has expanded to encompass 200 satellites.