The historic call was made in Vryburg, a town in South Africa’s North West province.

This test is a major step toward connecting rural and remote communities that don’t have traditional mobile infrastructure.

 

The trial showed that satellite technology can help bring mobile services to areas that have been hard to reach in the past.

The test focused on checking voice call quality and SMS services using a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite.

 

These satellites travel much closer to Earth than regular satellites, which allows for faster and more reliable connections.

Charles Molapisi, CEO of MTN South Africa, said the project is part of MTN’s ongoing effort to find practical ways to expand coverage to areas where building normal cellphone towers is difficult or expensive.

MTN is not alone in this effort. The company has been exploring satellite partnerships with global providers like OneWeb, Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Lynk Global.

 

Other telecom companies in Africa, including Vodacom, are also working with satellite firms—such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper—to reach users in remote regions.

Before launching the trial, MTN and Lynk Global got permission from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to use MTN’s licensed spectrum.  

This successful trial proves that satellite-powered mobile services can work in Africa. More importantly, it offers hope for millions of people in remote areas to finally get connected to the digital world.