Virgin Media O2 is set to become the first UK mobile network to offer customers automatic satellite connectivity in areas without a phone signal, following a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The new O2 Satellite service will launch in the first half of 2026 and will provide users with coverage in rural and remote areas where terrestrial masts are not available. The company said smartphones compatible with the technology would automatically connect to satellites when no cellular signal is detected.
While Virgin Media O2 has not yet announced pricing, the service is being offered as an optional monthly add-on rather than a standard feature.
O2 Satellite initially only supports messaging, maps and location apps. Phone calls over normal mobile networks do not work over the satellite connection because the current generation of Starlink satellites does not support voice. However, WhatsApp calls and other data-based communication apps may work. O2 confirms it will carry out testing before the public launch.
Luke Pearce, telecommunications analyst at CCS Insight, said the technology could prove transformative for consumers and businesses.
“In today’s world, connectivity is no longer optional,” he said. “Whether it’s making emergency calls in life-saving situations or keeping software-controlled vehicles online, people today expect constant access. Satellite is the only technology that can truly bridge the coverage gap between mountains, oceans and rural areas.”
O2’s announcement follows rival Vodafone’s successful live satellite video call from a remote mountain in Wales earlier this year, which the company described as a first in the UK. Vodafone has entered into a partnership with US satellite company AST SpaceMobile, which currently has six satellites in orbit and plans to deploy up to 60 by the end of 2026.
Starlink, owned by SpaceX, already has more than 650 satellites supporting direct-to-device services and has launched similar offerings in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Japan.
In the UK, telecoms regulator Ofcom updated its rules in September to allow satellite connectivity directly to smartphones. Currently, such connections are limited to emergency texting features available on the latest iPhone and Android models, but O2’s partnership with Starlink is expected to be the first commercial deployment to mainstream users.
But astronomers have raised concerns about the growing number of near-Earth satellites, warning that they could contribute to light pollution and make it difficult to detect asteroids and other space hazards.
Still, O2’s move looks set to take the UK a big step towards universal mobile phone coverage – not through masts on the ground, but through “telephone towers in the sky”.
