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Virgin Media O2 on Thursday launched Europe’s first satellite-to-mobile service, allowing customers to send messages and use select apps on regular smartphones even in areas with no terrestrial network coverage.
Branded O2 Satellite, the service uses SpaceX’s Starlink network and is priced at $4.06 per month. Virgin Media O2 said the launch would expand its UK landmass coverage from 89% to 95%, significantly improving connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Once enabled, compatible handsets will automatically connect to satellites when there is no mobile signal, providing access to text messaging, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps, weather updates and location-based services, the company said. The service will initially support Samsung’s latest smartphones, with broader device compatibility expected later.
Virgin Media O2, which is jointly owned by Telefónica and Liberty Global, positioned the offering as a major step forward for mobile connectivity in Britain, particularly for customers travelling or engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and water sports.
“This is a defining moment for British mobile connectivity,” said Lutz Schuler, chief executive of Virgin Media O2. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to roll out a space-based mobile data service that has instantly brought new coverage to an area roughly two-thirds the size of Wales.”
The launch puts Virgin Media O2 ahead of several rivals in Europe, as telecom operators increasingly turn to satellite partnerships to close coverage gaps. In the United States, T-Mobile introduced a similar satellite-to-cell service in July, priced at $10 per month.
In the UK, competitor Vodafone made the first-ever satellite video call using a standard smartphone from a no-coverage zone in January 2025. Vodafone plans to roll out a full satellite-to-mobile service in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, though it has yet to announce a commercial launch date.
Virgin Media O2 said the new service is designed to complement existing mobile networks rather than replace them, offering a fallback layer of connectivity where traditional infrastructure cannot reach.
Branded O2 Satellite, the service uses SpaceX’s Starlink network and is priced at $4.06 per month. Virgin Media O2 said the launch would expand its UK landmass coverage from 89% to 95%, significantly improving connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Once enabled, compatible handsets will automatically connect to satellites when there is no mobile signal, providing access to text messaging, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps, weather updates and location-based services, the company said. The service will initially support Samsung’s latest smartphones, with broader device compatibility expected later.
Virgin Media O2, which is jointly owned by Telefónica and Liberty Global, positioned the offering as a major step forward for mobile connectivity in Britain, particularly for customers travelling or engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and water sports.
“This is a defining moment for British mobile connectivity,” said Lutz Schuler, chief executive of Virgin Media O2. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to roll out a space-based mobile data service that has instantly brought new coverage to an area roughly two-thirds the size of Wales.”
The launch puts Virgin Media O2 ahead of several rivals in Europe, as telecom operators increasingly turn to satellite partnerships to close coverage gaps. In the United States, T-Mobile introduced a similar satellite-to-cell service in July, priced at $10 per month.
In the UK, competitor Vodafone made the first-ever satellite video call using a standard smartphone from a no-coverage zone in January 2025. Vodafone plans to roll out a full satellite-to-mobile service in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, though it has yet to announce a commercial launch date.
Virgin Media O2 said the new service is designed to complement existing mobile networks rather than replace them, offering a fallback layer of connectivity where traditional infrastructure cannot reach.
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