The first phones in the UK to get satellite connectivity in signal blackspots have been announced

Virgin Media O2 is set to become the first mobile network operator to offer UK customers automatic satellite connectivity in places where there is no phone signal.

O2 Satellite will be an optional service scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026, after partnering with Elon Musk’s satellite company Starlink to provide the service.

The company has not yet revealed the cost, but it will be an additional fee paid every month.

Enabled smartphones will automatically switch to satellite coverage in parts of the UK where a terrestrial signal is not available – such as rural areas – but those who sign up will not be able to make satellite phone calls to begin with.

The service will only work with messaging, maps, and location apps. O2 says this is because current Starlink satellites do not support calls, although the next generation of them will.

However, calls made via WhatsApp, which uses data rather than phone signal, may work. O2 intends to trial this before launching the service to the public.

The satellites will effectively act like “telephone poles in the sky,” said Luke Pearce of analyst CCS Insight.

“In today’s world, communication is no longer optional,” he said.

“Whether it’s emergency SOS in life-saving situations or keeping a software-defined car online, people now expect constant access.”

Software-defined vehicles can receive over-the-air updates to improve their performance and features, but they need Internet connections to be able to do so.

“Satellite is the only technology that can truly bridge the coverage gap across mountains, oceans and rural areas,” Mr Pearce added.

O2’s move comes several months after the success of its competitor, Vodafone Live video call via satellite From a mountain in Wales where there is no other signal.

It claims this is the first of its kind in the UK, but is yet to reveal any plans to bring satellite services to customers’ devices.

Vodafone Technology has worked with satellite company AST, which currently has six satellites in orbit and aims to have up to 60 by the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, Starlink has more than 650 satellites and has already launched similar services with phone networks in other countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Japan.

In the UK, Ofcom amended its regulations in September to enable satellite connectivity directly to smartphone devices.

Currently, it can only be used to send text messages to emergency services from newer iPhones and Android devices.

But the use of low-Earth orbit satellites for mobile communications has been criticized by astronomers, who say they pollute the night sky and make it more difficult to detect potential hazards such as asteroids.