Virgin Media O2 has struck a multi-year deal with Starlink’s Direct to Cell network to launch “O2 Satellite”, a handset-to-satellite service that will extend coverage into rural and coastal not-spots from early 2026.
The UK-first partnership will start with messaging and data, using a portion of O2’s licensed spectrum and Starlink’s 650-plus LEO constellation, with app support expanding over time. Virgin Media O2 says the service will help lift UK landmass coverage to 95%+ within 12 months of launch.
Virgin Media O2 is running internal trials now, with customer rollout planned for the first half of 2026. The operator frames O2 Satellite as a complement to its terrestrial network, activating automatically in areas without traditional coverage and building on its Shared Rural Network rollout. Starlink, which positions Direct to Cell as working with existing LTE phones, says the tie-up will help end mobile dead zones.
Virgin Media O2 previously used Starlink for mobile backhaul on remote SRN sites, and has been growing spectrum and capacity. It agreed to acquire 78.8 MHz from Vodafone UK for £343 million (€390m) and this month lit a first-of-its-kind London “Giga Site” using newly deployed airwaves.
