Mobile telecommunications operator Vodafone Group PLC announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Amazon.com's low Earth orbit satellite network, Amazon Leo, to provide network connectivity for 4G and 5G mobile communication base stations in remote areas of Europe and Africa.

Vodafone stated that Amazon Leo will deliver connection services with download speeds of up to 1Gbps and upload speeds of 400Mbps, linking the Vodafone network with base stations in hard-to-reach locations and thereby reducing the cost of fiber optic cable installation.

Vodafone indicated that it will begin using Amazon Leo satellites this year to provide connectivity for mobile communication base stations in Germany and other European countries. The service will subsequently be expanded across Africa through its subsidiary Vodacom.

Vodafone mentioned that Amazon Leo currently has more than 200 satellites in orbit, with hundreds more already built and awaiting launch.

In addition, Vodafone plans to collaborate with partner AST SpaceMobile to offer satellite connectivity services for users with standard smartphones, although a launch date for the service has not yet been confirmed.