- VodafoneThree is the latest operator authorized to use satellite technology to cover unprotected areas.
- O2 has already obtained authorization, EE to work with Starlink
- Handset rules need to be updated as well as operator licenses
Ofcom has confirmed it has approved an application from VodafoneThree to amend one of the spectrum licenses it holds, which would mean it can provide ‘direct-to-device’ satellite connectivity to mobile phones.
The newly merged companies would be able to provide calls, texts and data to standard smartphones in the UK, much more akin to traditional cellular service than Apple’s satellite SOS features.
Satellite connectivity would play an important role in filling gaps in current infrastructure, providing a signal where there is none.
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VodafoneThree obtains permission to use satellites
VodafoneThree is not the only company to have obtained such permission: O2 was also given the green light earlier in 2026.
“By launching O2 Satellite, we became the first operator in Europe to launch a spatial mobile data service which, overnight, brought new mobile coverage for the first time to an area approximately two-thirds the size of Wales,” VMO2 CEO Lutz Schuler boasted when the company launched satellite connections for some of the first supported Samsung devices.
However, other issues may arise before satellite connectivity becomes commonplace. Ofcom said that while licensing operators is a step it has carried out twice this year, it is also due to change its regulations on mobile phones following a public consultation over the next month.
In the United States, T-Mobile has already launched satellite-to-cell service for an additional $10 monthly fee.
As for the UK’s only other mainline carrier, EE announced a partnership with Starling in late 2025 to tackle “non-spots” across the UK from the second half of 2026.
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