The world’s first direct 5G satellite-to-smartphone broadband video call was done by some scientists in China and it’s making folks wonder if the US restrictions on apps like TikTok really make sense. The idea behind this technology is that you can stream video content straight to your phone using satellites. However, a Chinese expert on 5G standards mentioned there are some big hurdles to jump over before this becomes a reality.
The test for this new technology took place earlier this month using a fancy new technology demonstration satellite. Liang Baojun, who heads up the China Satellite Network Group, spilled the beans on this exciting development. This state-owned company is in charge of China’s plan to launch 13,000 satellites for their Guowang internet megaconstellation, which is supposed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. Pretty cool, right?
Liang spoke about the test at the Xiongan BeiDou Ecosystem Cooperation Conference, which happened on a Saturday. This was one of his first big public appearances since he took on the role back in January. He didn’t give out too many details, but he did mention that they used the 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standard for the test. This means the phone was linked up to the satellite based on internationally recognized 5G specs – no need for any special hardware. This could open up the door for satellite services to work on regular old smartphones. Who would have thought, right?
