Telecom companies in Zimbabwe appear to be competing with one another to offer 5G service to their customers.
AST SpaceMobile is partnering with NetOne, Zimbabwe’s second-largest telecom provider, to build a space-based mobile broadband network that will bring satellite-powered 5G to Zimbabwe. This is in contrast to Econet Wireless, which launched Zimbabwe’s 5G rollout back in February 2022. According to them, this is not simply any satellite system because customers will only require direct-to-phone connectivity and will not require any other hardware or dishes.
Instead of depending on thousands of smaller satellites and specialized receivers like Starlink, AST will launch a smaller number of larger satellites that can beam 5G directly to phones. It is also more than a theory. With a standard Samsung Galaxy S22, AST claims to have already successfully made a 5G voice call from Hawaii to Madrid. Additionally, they now have five satellites in orbit and, with assistance from SpaceX and Blue Origin, intend to scale up to 60 by 2026.
