We’re still struggling to get decent cell phone coverage in many places here on Earth, but for anyone planning to go to the moon in the near future, there’s no need to worry about posting the perfect Earth selfie on Instagram.That’s right, the moon is getting a 4G cell phone network in 2019, thanks to a partnership between Vodafone, Nokia, Audi, and Berlin-based space exploration company PTScientist.The group will launch the first privately-funded moon landing next year, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.The cell phone network is being established to facilitate live video streams sent directly from the moon’s surface back to earth for the first time.
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“This is a crucial first step for sustainable exploration of the solar system,” said Robert Bohme, CEO and founder of PTScientist. “In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet.”PTScientist will send its Alina lander and two Audi Quattro rovers to the lunar surface, where the 4G network will connect the two rovers and a base station, providing HD video of the moon’s surface back on earth.While 4G is still the predominant mobile network technology in use today, the earth is gearing up for the launch of 5G in the coming years. An unnamed executive told Reuters that 5G wasn’t considered for this project as it was still in the trial phase and too unstable.PTScientist was one of the competitors in the recently canceled Google Lunar X Prize competition.Following the announcement, many people complained about not having access to 4G here on Earth: