Rogers and Lynk Global announced early Thursday morning they have successfully completed Canada’s first satellite-to-mobile phone call using Samsung S22 smartphones.
The call took place Sunday, Dec. 10 in historic Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, where the world’s first transatlantic telegraph cable took place between Canada and Ireland more than 150 years ago, explains a Rogers press release.
The phone call was made between Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey and a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association using Lynk’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and Rogers’s national wireless spectrum.
Footage of the test phone call between Premier Furey and first responder Mabel Tilley can be viewed here.
The two companies also tested SMS, data and emergency alerting services, according to the release.
“We’re bringing coverage to Canada’s most remote areas to improve public safety and to connect communities that aren’t connected today,” Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri said in a statement. “We’re proud to work with Lynk to bring Canadians the very latest global technology that will give them access to 911 and wireless services.”
Being able to use wireless spectrum “ensures this technology works on existing smartphones so customers don’t need to install customized apps or not yet available hardware,” the press release says.
“Newfoundland and Labrador is a vast, largely rural province, and connectivity is an important issue for us,” Furey said in the release. “As Premier, I am excited about the breakthrough technology Rogers is testing to improve network coverage and the safety of people in our province and across the country.”
Rogers says it will launch satellite-to-mobile phone technology in 2024, starting with SMS texting, mass notifications and machine-to-machine AI applications, and then expand the service to include voice and data services.
Rogers announced its partnership with Lynk Global in April 2023, along with a partnership with SpaceX to use that company’s Starlink satellites for similar testing of the technology.
“The Lynk team is proud to showcase a comprehensive range of Sat2Phone capabilities with Rogers, including data, voice, messaging, and mass notifications,” said Charles Miller, co-founder and CEO of Lynk. “Our mission is aligned with Rogers’ deep commitment to ensure connectivity for all Canadians no matter where they live, work, and travel. We are excited to be on this journey towards commercial service with Rogers.”
Screenshot of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey taking a test call of the new technology.
