- Virgin Media O2 has partnered with Starlink
- This brings satellite connectivity to Virgin Media O2 users’ phones
- It’s due to roll out in the UK over the next 12 months
If you’re sick of mobile dead spots and poor signal strength when you’re out in the countryside, you could be in luck, as Virgin Media O2 has just announced it will start rolling out Starlink connectivity to its UK customers over the coming 12 months. If you’re wondering what that involves, read on.
Firstly, this is set to be the first partnership between Starlink and a UK phone network provider. Mobile firms like T-Mobile have been working with Starlink in the US, but no UK company has teamed up with Starlink here in the UK.
The new service is called O2 Satellite, and Virgin Media O2 says it will “initially deliver messaging and data services, with further improvements and applications to follow in the future across a range of handsets.” The company added that “App support will grow over time, with a focus on targeting support for the most asked-for applications at launch, primarily messaging, maps and location services.”
Fourthly, according to the BBC, O2 Satellite will be an optional extra for O2 customers. And the final, and perhaps most important, thing we know so far is that it’s due to launch in the first half of 2026. This will require an additional monthly fee, but we don’t yet know how much that will be.
Most of the UK covered – for a fee
As well as that, Virgin Media O2 claimed that the move would enable users to connect to over 650 satellites in order to get cellular service that might not be available otherwise. That could enable Virgin Media O2 to cover more than 95% of the UK in the year after the new satellite offering launches.
However, we don’t yet know exactly how O2 Satellite will work. With T-Mobile’s T-Satellite, your phone automatically connects to a Starlink satellite, even if it’s in your pocket, meaning you don’t need to wave your phone around in the air to get enough signal.
Virgin Media O2 hasn’t said if O2 Satellite will function in a similar way, although the BBC describes it as “automatic,” suggesting it might work along in a similar way to T-Satellite. We’ll have to wait for more details on this aspect.
Virgin Media O2 might not be alone for long. Vodafone has previously claimed to have made a satellite-based video call in the UK, and other providers will no doubt be watching O2 Satellite closely to monitor its progress.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
