Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has started satellite-to-mobile service with an aim to bolster connectivity across the country.
The service is powered by SpaceX’s Starlink Direct-to-Cell technology and provides connectivity even in areas that have no cellular towers or signals. These areas, aka cellular dead zones, will now have radio signals beaming from Starlink satellites. Likewise, the connectivity brings communication services to remote and rural areas, further helping bridge the digital gap in the country.
O2 satellite-to-mobile service
Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile service delivers services to phones using O2’s spectrum. The service not only supports text messaging for emergency help. It also unlocks access to WhatsApp, Messenger, Google Messenger, AccuWeather, etc. If you notice the pattern, the suite of services is there to help people navigate their way to safety if they are stranded in an emergency.
O2 Satellite service price
O2 satellite plan comes at £3-per-month. However, for now, the service is only available to users of high-end phones such as the Samsung S25 series. The company has shared that it will soon expand support to more devices.
“This is a defining moment for UK mobile connectivity and a statement of our intent to keep innovating and ensure our customers can stay connected no matter where they are,” said Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2.
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“By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time.
“We already have the UK’s largest 5G+ footprint, and we’re not standing still, investing heavily this year in our mobile network to give O2 customers a brilliant, reliable service that they can depend on.”
Starlink services use a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation to provide wireless connectivity to users. It brings communication services to areas that have no traditional cellular or fiber connections, thus ensuring that the area is connected.