en.Wedoany.com Reported - Virgin Media O2 has become the first operator in the UK and Europe to launch a satellite data service, enabling customers to stay connected in areas without traditional mobile network coverage. The service boosts Virgin Media O2's UK land coverage from 89% to 95%, adding an area roughly equivalent to two-thirds of Wales.
O2 Satellite is designed to complement existing mobile networks, automatically connecting customers when traditional cellular networks are unavailable. The service helps people stay connected while traveling or engaging in activities such as hiking, climbing, water sports, and sailing, providing greater peace of mind in rural, coastal, and other remote areas. In addition to extending coverage to blind spots, O2 Satellite serves as a backup, helping customers stay connected during rare local cellular network outages with no coverage at all.
At launch, O2 Satellite supports SMS and data transmission via apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Google Maps, offering customers extra assurance when away from terrestrial mobile networks. The service is initially available to customers with the latest Samsung smartphones, with support for other devices, manufacturers, and applications coming soon. This service is the result of Virgin Media O2's first UK collaboration with SpaceX, leveraging Starlink's low Earth orbit satellites to provide direct-to-device connectivity using O2's authorized mobile spectrum transmitted from space. The launch of O2 Satellite follows successful internal testing, with Virgin Media O2 employees using the technology under real-world conditions across the country.
Initially offered as a £3 per month add-on, O2 Satellite will soon be included free of charge for all Ultimate plan customers, benefiting tens of thousands of consumers. Virgin Media O2 CEO Lutz Schüler stated that this is a defining moment for mobile connectivity in the UK, adding that by launching O2 Satellite, the first operator in Europe to offer space-based mobile data services, new mobile coverage has been brought overnight to an area roughly two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time. He also emphasized that the company has the largest 5G+ coverage area in the UK and is heavily investing in its mobile network this year to provide customers with excellent, reliable service.
Digital Economy Minister Baroness Lloyd said this is a major achievement for the UK, demonstrating leadership in next-generation connectivity. As the first country in Europe to launch a direct-to-device satellite data service, the UK is firmly at the forefront of mobile innovation. Starlink Vice President of Commercial Sales Stephanie Bednarek noted that collaborating with Virgin Media O2 to provide the Starlink Direct to Cell service underscores the importance of staying connected, with millions of people in the UK now able to access data, voice, and video via apps and send messages in remote areas without terrestrial coverage for the first time.
The activation of O2 Satellite follows the recent approval of the UK's first satellite-to-smartphone service license by Ofcom. O2 was recently named the most improved mobile network in Europe in Umlaut Connect's Mobile Network Test, an independent and comprehensive benchmarking report. It also won the Uswitch Telecoms Award for Best Mobile Network Coverage for the second consecutive year, recognizing the scale, coverage, and reliability of O2's mobile network. In its fiscal year 2025 results, Virgin Media O2 reported that its 5G standalone network now covers 87% of the UK's outdoor population—the largest 5G standalone coverage area in the UK.
