Astrum Mobile and Qualcomm Technologies recently conducted a groundbreaking trial using the former Worldspace satellite, AsiaStar, to explore 5G Broadcast capabilities directly to smartphones.
Jonathan Wang, CFO of Astrum Mobile, confirmed this development, stating, “Astrum is the owner of the assets now.” He noted that the satellite is positioned at 105° East.The trial, which marked the world’s first deployment of 5G Broadcast services from a geosynchronous satellite to standard retail smartphones, took place in October 2024. Leveraging AsiaStar’s extensive coverage across the Asia Pacific region, the demonstration included live television broadcasts, online gaming, over-the-top (OTT) content delivery, and emergency broadcast services. Various usage scenarios were tested, encompassing mobility across vehicular, maritime, and on-demand service contexts.
Founded in 1990 by Noah A. Samara, Worldspace was a pioneering satellite radio company with an ambitious vision to provide digital audio and multimedia broadcasts to underserved regions, especially in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, utilising L-band frequencies. The company aimed to deliver content directly to reception devices via geostationary satellites, addressing infrastructure challenges faced by traditional media.
Worldspace successfully launched two satellites: AfriStar in 1998 and AsiaStar in 2000, both launched via Ariane rockets. AfriStar focused on serving Africa and parts of Europe, while AsiaStar catered to Asia and the Middle East. A third satellite, AmeriStar, intended to serve the Americas, was never realised.
Despite its innovative approach, Worldspace faced financial difficulties due to limited subscriber numbers, high receiver costs, and competition from terrestrial and emerging digital platforms. After filing for bankruptcy in 2008, the company’s assets, including its satellites, were acquired by other operators.
