UK Phones to Beam Up: Satellite Signal Saves Signal Blackspots!

Virgin Media O2 is set to become the first mobile network in the UK to offer customers automatic satellite connectivity in areas where there is no phone signal. The new service, called O2 Satellite, is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. This is possible because of a partnership with Starlink, the satellite company owned by Elon Musk. While the exact price has not been announced, O2 Satellite will require users to pay an extra monthly fee on top of their regular phone bill.

The way O2 Satellite works is simple: if you have a compatible smartphone and you travel to a place in the UK where there is no regular phone signal, your phone will automatically switch to satellite coverage. This is especially useful in rural areas, mountains, or other remote locations. However, when the service first launches, users will only be able to use messaging, maps, and location apps through the satellite connection. Making phone calls over satellite will not be possible at first because Starlink’s current satellites do not support voice calls. O2 says that future satellites will allow calls, and they plan to test whether internet-based calls, like those made through WhatsApp, will work before the service goes public.

Luke Pearce, an analyst at CCS Insight, described satellites as 'phone masts in the sky. ' He explained that in today’s world, people expect to be connected all the time, whether it’s for emergencies or for cars that need internet to receive updates. Software-defined vehicles, which can get new features and improvements through online updates, rely on having a constant internet connection. Pearce believes that satellite technology is the only way to close the coverage gap in places like mountains, oceans, and rural areas.

O2’s announcement comes after Vodafone, another major UK network, successfully sent a text message from a mountain in Wales where there was no other signal. Vodafone worked with AST, a satellite company that currently has six satellites in orbit and plans to have up to sixty by the end of 2026. However, Vodafone has not yet revealed any plans to offer satellite-to-device services to customers. Starlink, on the other hand, already has more than 650 satellites and has launched similar services with mobile networks in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, and Japan.

In the UK, the communications regulator Ofcom changed its rules in September to allow satellite connectivity directly to smartphones. At the moment, this technology can only be used to send emergency texts from newer iPhone and Android devices. Despite the excitement about better coverage, some astronomers have raised concerns about the growing number of satellites. They say that satellites can pollute the night sky and make it harder to spot potential dangers like asteroids.

For people living in signal blackspots, O2 Satellite could be a game-changer, making it easier to stay connected wherever they are. Virgin Media O2 hopes that this new service will help people use their phones in more places and keep up with the world’s biggest tech trends.