India, June 18 -- Vodafone Idea (Vi), a telecom service provider in India, and AST SpaceMobile Inc, a company developing a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard mobile phones, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving mobile connectivity in unserved and underserved regions across India.

AST SpaceMobile recently achieved a technical milestone by conducting the first voice and video call via satellite using an unmodified mobile phone, demonstrating the viability of its technology in real-world conditions.

India, home to over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers, has widespread 4G coverage and ongoing 5G rollout. However, satellite-based communication is expected to complement terrestrial...