What happened to Nokia’s 4G network on the Moon?

You may or may not already know this, but in March 2025, Nokia deployed its Network In a Box (NIB) to the Moon and successfully powered it up around the same time as NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission. In doing so, Nokia claimed, the company became the first mobile operator to offer a 4G cellular network on the lunar surface. The maker of some of the best-selling mobile phones of all time has also become the first to deploy a network in space. In reality, the network didn’t last long, because it was part of a flawed project: the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission. Athena, the mission’s lander, actually ended up on its side and, due to the orientation of its solar panels, was unable to recharge properly, so the mission ended prematurely. Despite the complications, Nokia says it still deployed the NIB for 25 minutes before losing power, meaning that during that time a 4G network was active.

If things had gone as planned, Nokia’s space network would have supported a variety of rovers and devices, which could have helped collect and analyze data on the surface and ultimately return it all to its base on Earth. Nokia also planned to make the first call from the moon, but since no equipment ever left Athena’s internal garage, this never happened. In some ways, the network was both successful and unsuccessful, having only been online for a small period but never truly being used as intended.

However, the mobile provider could have another chance to make history. Specifically, Nokia is currently planning a return to the Moon, working with Axiom Space to integrate wireless connectivity inside spacesuits that will be operated by the NASA crew during the Artemis III mission, planned for 2027.

The mission was actually carried out by Nokia Bell Labs’ Space Communications Solutions, an offshoot of Nokia Bell Labs – the company’s research division – now called Modul8. The team insists that the 4G network was viable and efficient even though it was never used by any equipment. The researchers and engineers involved were able to verify various key indicators that the network was briefly operational.

This lunar network was largely powered and distributed by equipment called NIB, or Network In a Box. Apparently, inside was a radio, a base station, and routing and core technologies, all integrated and designed to broadcast a network across the lunar surface. The telecom kit is customizable and generally intended for commercial and industrial applications. However, the NIB used by the Bell Labs space communications team has been revamped with this unique environment in mind. Specifically, it was structured to be lighter, with typical components replaced by lighter alternatives, and it had a unique thermal and radiation management solution, as well as mechanical and electrical redundancies to help overcome potential failures.

Even if the mission had gone off without a hitch, the original schedule was only expected to last about nine lunar days, the equivalent of 14 Earth days. So Nokia and Bell Labs’ space network was always going to be a short-term business, and the equipment was never designed to withstand the extremely harsh conditions of lunar nights. Still, it’s an impressive feat that will be further explored with new implementations of Nokia technology inside the Artemis III spacesuits. These will, in comparison, be better adapted to the volatile temperatures of space and the surface of the Moon.