UK Regulator Mulls Satellite-to-Cell Phone Service

Following in the path of countries such as the US that permit some mobile phones to use satellite connectivity, the UK is opting to move ahead to allow such services too.

The UK is poised to become Europe's first country offering legal satellite connectivity for smartphones. The regulator Ofcom has released a consultation authorising the move and is requesting comments no later than the 10th October 2025.

Making this service available to standard mobile phones would provide the most remote parts of the UK with the access needed to send texts, make phone calls or even connect to the Internet - functions presently not possible in areas without mobile phone coverage.

This is known as "direct-to-device" and operation would be permitted after Ofcom has provided a variation to the licences of Mobile Network Operators. The change would also grant such use to mobile handsets and any other devices that make use of SIM cards.