Virgin Media O2 is set to become the first UK mobile network to offer customers automatic satellite connectivity in areas with no phone signal, after striking a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The new service, O2 Satellite, will launch in the first half of 2026, giving users coverage in rural and remote regions where terrestrial masts are unavailable. The company said smartphones compatible with the technology would automatically connect to satellites when no mobile signal is detected.
While Virgin Media O2 has yet to reveal pricing, the service will be offered as an optional monthly add-on rather than a standard feature.
Initially, O2 Satellite will only support messaging, maps and location apps. Phone calls made via normal mobile networks will not work over the satellite connection, as Starlink’s current generation of satellites does not support voice. However, WhatsApp calls and other data-based communication apps may function, with O2 confirming it will run trials before the public rollout.
Luke Pearce, a telecoms 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 emergency SOS in life-saving situations or keeping software-defined vehicles online, people now expect constant access. Satellite is the only technology that can truly close the coverage gap across mountains, oceans and rural areas.”
O2’s announcement follows rival Vodafone’s successful live video call via satellite earlier this year from a remote mountain in Wales, which the company described as a UK first. Vodafone partnered with US satellite firm AST SpaceMobile, which currently has six satellites in orbit and aims 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, the telecoms regulator Ofcom updated its rules in September to allow satellite connectivity directly to smartphones. For now, 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 for mainstream users.
Astronomers, however, have raised concerns about the growing number of low-Earth orbit satellites, warning they contribute to light pollution and could make it harder to detect asteroids and other space hazards.
Still, with O2’s move, the UK looks set to take a major step toward universal mobile coverage — powered not by masts on the ground, but by “phone towers in the sky.”
