Virgin Media O2’s direct-to-device (D2D) service O2 Satellite now supports iPhones, the telco announced this week. The service, which uses SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile constellation, went live earlier this year for certain Samsung Galaxy models.
VMO2 is a significant player in the U.K. communications market. At the end of the first quarter, it had 32.3 million mobile connections in the U.K., excluding IoT. The telco said the addition of certain iPhones “significantly expands” the availability of the service. It is available for iPhone models 13 and above.
O2 Satellite costs 3 pounds ($4) per month as an add-on and is also part of the company’s highest feature plan.
The current capabilities of O2 Satellite are messaging and data service on a number of apps including WhatsApp and map and weather apps. The service does not support voice calls or emergency call.
“Earlier this year, we made history with the switch on of O2 Satellite. Expanding the service to iPhone users is a major step forward in making this new, groundbreaking technology accessible to more customers. Whether you’re hiking, travelling or in a remote part of the U.K., O2 Satellite helps ensure you can stay connected when you need it most,” commented Chris Bournes, commercial director at Virgin Media O2.
O2 Satellite was first announced in October 2025 and secured UK regulatory approval in February of this year.
