Virgin Media O2 connects Starlink to improve mobile coverage in rural areas of Britain

Virgin Media O2 has become the first mobile operator in the UK to sign a deal with Starlink to provide coverage in remote areas of the country. The new service, called O2 Satellite, will launch in the first half of 2026.

As part of a multi-year partnership with Starlink, the operator plans to cover more than 95% of the UK, eliminating the so-called *”not-spots”* – places with no connection or weak signal. At launch, messaging and mobile data will be available to users, with wider functionality in the future. Smartphones will automatically connect to the satellites, which will be the first of its kind in the country.

Virgin Media O2 CEO Lutz Schuler said that this would give customers “peace of mind and confidence in the availability of connectivity”, complementing the already made investment of 700 million pounds ($920 million) in the terrestrial network. Starlink emphasizes: the company’s mission is to end mobile dead zones and connect regions where communication was previously impossible.

According to government representatives, the deal demonstrates how private technology solutions can solve the country’s infrastructure problems.

Virgin Media O2 is one of the four leading mobile operators in the UK, along with EE, Three and Vodafone.

Despite the operators’ claims of almost 100% coverage, the Which? study showed a significant imbalance:

• the best coverage is in London, Nottingham and Glasgow

• the worst is in rural areas of Wales and the south-west of England

• Some areas show a stable signal only 54% of the time.

The Virgin Media O2 and Starlink deal could be a key step in solving the digital divide in Britain, especially for farmers, small businesses and tourist regions. Satellite mobile communications are gradually ceasing to be exotic and are becoming the norm for the infrastructure of developed countries.