Vodafone and Nokia to create first 4G network on Moon in 2019

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Earth’s natural satellite, Moon to get its first 4G network. Vodafone 4G network on the Moon is going to be a reality in 2019. Vodafone Germany has announced to create the first 4G network on the Moon to support a mission by PTScientists in 2019. The company has appointed Nokia as its technology partner to develop space-grade network weighing less than a bag of sugar.

PTScientists is working with Vodafone Germany and Audi to achieve the first privately-funded Moon landing. The mission is due to launch in 2019 from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.  This move will enable first live-streaming of HD video from the Moon’s surface to a global audience.

“Vodafone’s network expertise will be used to set up the Moon’s first 4G network, connecting two Audi lunar Quattro rovers to a base station in the Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module (ALINA). Nokia, through Nokia Bell Labs, will create a space-grade Ultra Compact Network that will be the lightest ever developed – weighing less than one kilo, the same as a bag of sugar.”, Vodafone said in a statement.

“Vodafone testing indicates that the base station should be able to broadcast 4G using the 1800 MHz frequency band and send back the first-ever live HD video feed of the Moon’s surface, which will be broadcast to a global audience via a deep space link that interconnects with the PTScientists server in the Mission Control Centre in Berlin.”, the statement added.

4G networks are energy efficient as compared to its predecessors. If this mission is sucessful, we may get to see the launch of 5G networks on Moon. 5G network is still developing stage and trials are expected to begin 2019 or early 2020.