The market has evolved and the technology has evolved Sheila Kavanagh, engineer and Network Director Vodafone Ireland

Last month, Vodafone made telecoms history with Ireland’s first-ever mobile video call via satellite through a smartphone. Satellite video calls happen when data is beamed directly to and from satellites orbiting Earth. It means regular phone users in Ireland will soon be able to access the internet and make video calls via satellites, without needing to own a clunky satellite phone. It’s a significant move in the right direction for Ireland’s telecommunications industry, which regularly experiences connectivity challenges due to flooding, big freezes and heatwaves.

I caught up with Sheila Kavanagh, engineer and Network Director Vodafone Ireland to find out more about this. Shelia talks about her background, Ireland’s first-ever mobile video call via satellite through a smartphone, the growing popularity of video calls and audio messages and more.

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Powered by AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellite, Vodafone hopes this new technology will help people stay connected, even in the most hazardous climate conditions. In January last year, it was estimated that over one third of mobile phone users were affected by Storm Éowyn. In addition, the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) published by the Environmental Protection Agency last June identified 115 risks to Ireland from climate change, the most pressing being risks to energy and communications infrastructure due to extreme winds.

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