- Virgin Media O2 and Starlink team up to tackle mobile blackspots
- The new O2 Satellite service seeks to increase coverage
- Will use the Starlink network of 650 LEO satellites to provide connectivity
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is working with Elon Musk’s Starlink as it aims to end mobile coverage blackspots across the UK.
The two firms will work together on a new partnership that will boost VMO2’s mobile coverage using Starlink satellite technology, with a new service offering improved connectivity for rural users.
The new O2 Satellite product will offer data and messaging services for those in remote areas, with plans to expand in the future as VMO2 looks to increase its coverage.
O2 Satellite
The partnership will see VMO2 work with Starlink Direct to Cell, a “constellation” of more than 650 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that provide voice, data and messaging to around 7 million customers worldwide.
VMO2 hopes the launch will help it achieve its goal of expanding land coverage in the UK to more than 95% within 12 months of launch.
“This partnership, the first in the UK, is another example of how Virgin Media O2 is innovating to deliver a better experience and peace of mind for our customers, on top of the £700 million we are already investing in our mobile network this year,” said Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2.
“Starlink is a clear leader in this space, operating the world’s most advanced satellite constellation, making it the right partner to complement our existing coverage and support Virgin Media O2’s ambition to deliver reliable mobile connectivity across the UK.”
VMO2 had already been working with Starlink and announced in 2024 that it would use the latter’s technology to improve mobile backhaul as part of its Shared Rural Network (SRN) launch.
The company says it is conducting internal testing of the new service now, with a customer rollout scheduled for early 2026.
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