26 February 2026 British mobile operator Virgin Media O2 said, which has started to bring satellite communications to smartphones in the UK, becoming the first commercial deployment of SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-smartphone service in Europe.
Currently, the service is only available to users of certain Samsung Galaxy models for an additional fee 4 dollars per month, but in the future it is planned to include it for free in premium tariffs. In addition to messaging and voice communication, the satellite connection supports a limited number of applications, including Google Maps, WhatsApp and Elon Musk's X — similar to Starlink's direct-to-smartphone deployments in the US and elsewhere.
Britain's telecoms regulator Ofcom has also finalized the rules, enabling direct-to-device services, creating a framework for satellite operators to use land mobile spectrum in partnership with operators to extend coverage beyond cell towers. Similar to the Space Extra Coverage framework, adopted by the US Federal Communications Commission in 2024 year, British regulations allow satellite services to operate on a secondary basis, that is, they must not cause interference to primary users of terrestrial or mobile satellite services.
To date, Starlink has announced partnerships with 11 mobile operators, offering "direct-to-smartphone" peer-to-peer access in participating markets: T-Mobile (United States); Optus and Telstra (Australia); Rogers (Canada); One NZ (UTC); KDDI (Japan); Salt (Switzerland); Entel (Chile and Peru); Kyivstar (Ukraine); Virgin Media O2 (Great Britain); Airtel Africa (Nigeria).
Source: https://spacenews.com