First UK phones to get satellite connectivity in signal blackspots announced
Virgin Media O2 is expected to become the first mobile network operator to provide UK customers with seamless connectivity via satellite in areas without phone signal. Following a joint venture with Elon Musk's satellite company Starlink to provide the service, O2 Satellite will be an optional service set to launch in the first half of 2026. The firm hasn't disclosed how much it will cost, but it will be an additional cost to pay each month. Enabled smartphones will automatically migrate to satellite coverage in areas of the United Kingdom where no terrestrial signal is available, such as rural areas, but those who sign up will not be able to make phone calls via satellite.
The service will only work with messenger, maps, and location applications. According to O2, Starlink's latest satellites do not accept calls, but the next generation of them will. Calls made using WhatsApp, which uses data rather than phone signal, may work. Before the service is available to the public, O2 intends to try it. According to analyst CCS Insight's Luke Pearce, the satellites will effectively act like phone masts in the sky.
Connectivity is no longer optionalin today's world, he said.
Whether it's emergency SOS in life-saving situations or keeping a software-defined vehicle online, people now expect constant access.
Satellite is the only technology that will truly close the coverage gap across mountains, oceans, and rural areas.Over-the-air updates can be sent to improve their functionality and functionality, but you will need internet access to do so. Mr Pearce said,
Satellite battle takes off
Vodafone carried out a profitable live video call via satellite from a mountain in Wales where there was no other signal, leading to the O2's move several months after rival Vodafone carried off a successful live video calling via satellite. This was the first time the United Kingdom had been recognized as a pioneer in the industry, but it has yet to announce any plans to provide satellite-to-device services to consumers. Vodafone's tech worked with the satellite company AST, which now has six satellites in orbit and aims to have up to 60 by 2026. Starlink, meanwhile, has more than 650 satellites and has already introduced similar services with phone networks in other countries, including AUStralia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan. Ofcom amended its policies in September to enable satellite connectivity to smartphone devices in the United Kingdom. Currently, it is only possible to use it to text emergency services from newer iPhone and Android handsets. However, astronomers have chastised the use of low-earth orbit satellites for mobile communications, who claim to pollute the night sky and make it more difficult to detect potential threats such as asteroids. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to track the world's top tech news and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
