O2 claims UK business first with direct-to-device satellite service

O2 Business has launched a direct-to-device satellite service that allows business customers to use messaging, maps and selected apps when they are outside conventional mobile coverage.

The direct-to-device service increases claimed UK landmass coverage from 89 per cent to 95 per cent and costs £2.50 a month on Plus tariffs 

Customers taking Plus tariffs can add the service for £2.50 plus VAT per month on a 30-day rolling basis.

The service is available to new customers and eligible existing O2 Business customers with compatible devices.

The operator claims O2 Satellite for Business makes it the first UK mobile network to offer direct-to-device satellite connectivity to business customers.

The service automatically switches compatible smartphones to a satellite connection when O2 terrestrial coverage is unavailable, without requiring a separate satellite phone, additional hardware or app.

O2 says this increases the landmass over which customers can obtain connectivity from 89 per cent to 95 per cent.

The service is aimed particularly at businesses with employees working in rural and remote locations, including field engineers, construction workers, logistics operations and tradespeople.

Around 526,000 registered businesses in England are based in rural areas, according to government figures.

WhatsApp, maps and weather supported

O2 Satellite for Business supports messaging, location sharing, maps and weather services.

Compatible apps include WhatsApp, Messenger, Google Maps, Apple Maps, BBC Weather and outdoor navigation app AllTrails.

It works with iPhone 13 and later models, Google Pixel 10 and later devices and selected Samsung smartphones, with O2 saying more devices will be added.

Customers need a clear view of the sky to establish a satellite connection.

Standard voice calls are not currently supported, including calls to emergency services

ow direct-to-device satellite works

Direct-to-device satellite technology effectively turns a satellite into a mobile mast in space.

When a compatible smartphone moves outside O2’s normal terrestrial coverage, it can connect directly to a satellite overhead instead. There is no need for a separate satellite phone, dish or other specialist equipment.

The satellite receives the signal from the phone and routes the data back into communications networks on the ground. The process also works in reverse, allowing messages and other supported data to reach the handset.

Because a satellite is hundreds of kilometres above the Earth, the connection is more limited than conventional 4G or 5G. Users generally need a clear view of the sky, and the service is intended to maintain essential connectivity rather than provide a full-speed mobile broadband connection.

With O2 Satellite for Business, that currently means services such as WhatsApp and Messenger messaging, Google and Apple Maps, weather information and location sharing can continue to work when the user is beyond O2’s terrestrial network.

Voice calls, including emergency calls, are not currently supported.

Because a satellite is hundreds of kilometres above the Earth, the connection is more limited than conventional 4G or 5G. Users generally need a clear view of the sky, and the service is intended to maintain essential connectivity rather than provide a full-speed mobile broadband connection.

With O2 Satellite for Business, that currently means services such as WhatsApp and Messenger messaging, Google and Apple Maps, weather information and location sharing can continue to work when the user is beyond O2’s terrestrial network.

Voice calls, including emergency calls, are not currently supported.

 O2 Business chief executive Jo Bertram said the service addresses the increasing dependence of businesses on connectivity outside conventional network coverage.

“Businesses increasingly rely on always-on connectivity, but work doesn’t stop where mobile coverage ends,” she said.

“O2 Satellite extends connectivity beyond the reach of traditional mobile networks, helping organisations stay connected in more places through the smartphones they already use every day.”