- Virgin Media O2 has partnered with Starlink
- This brings satellite connectivity to Virgin Media O2 users’ phones
- It is expected to launch in the UK in the next 12 months
If you’re tired of mobile dead spots and poor signal strength when you’re out and about in the countryside, you might be in luck as Virgin Media O2 has just announced that it will start rolling out Starlink connectivity to its UK customers over the next 12 months. If you’re wondering what that entails, read on.
Firstly, this will be the first partnership between Starlink and a UK telephone network provider. Mobile companies such as T-Mobile have worked 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 provide messaging and data services, with further enhancements 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 in-demand applications at launch, primarily messaging, maps and location services.”
Fourth, according to the BBC, O2 Satellite will be an optional extra for O2 customers. And the last and perhaps most important thing we know so far is that it will be launched in the first half of 2026. This will require an additional monthly fee, but we do not yet know how much it will be.
Most of the UK is covered – for a fee
On top of that, Virgin Media O2 claimed the move would allow users to connect to over 650 satellites to get mobile 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 was launched.
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 have to wave your phone around in the air to get enough signal.
Virgin Media O2 has not said whether O2 Satellite will work in the same way, although the BBC describes it as “automatic”, suggesting it may work in the same way as T-Satellite. We will have to wait for more details on this aspect.
Virgin Media O2 may not be alone for long. Vodafone has previously claimed to have made a satellite video call in the UK and other operators will no doubt be following O2 Satellite closely to monitor its progress.
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