If you live in a rural area of the UK, you may soon be able to use your phone for satellite calls, messages, and other standard data usage. On Tuesday, the national telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, proposed using direct-to-device satellite technology to connect people in “the most rural and hard-to-reach places” such as mountains and remote villages.
Ofcom sees this technology as a complement to traditional networks, with the goal of providing 100 percent mobile coverage in the UK. The regulator said that the technology could also provide backup coverage during outages, provide services to ships and passengers in coastal waters without communication, and provide 999 (the British version of 911) emergency services in remote areas.
In January, the British telecommunications company Vodafone made the world’s first satellite video call using a regular mobile phone to a remote mountain in western Wales.
As for the details of the regulation, Ofcom proposes to amend the existing mobile spectrum licenses for frequencies already used by mobile operators (below 3 GHz). However, the regulator has also proposed alternative approaches, including the introduction of a new license for satellite services or allowing license-free use under certain conditions. Regardless of the specific policy approach, Ofcom has stated that strict conditions will be met to avoid interfering with existing spectrum users in the UK and abroad.
From today until May 20, Ofcom is opening a stakeholder consultation period. Depending on the feedback it receives, it may start allowing direct calls to devices later this year.
The iPhone 14 series was the first standard phone to offer emergency messaging directly to a satellite. In iOS 18, Apple expanded this feature not only to crisis situations, but also to any situation when you are offline. Recently, Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 smartphones added similar functionality.
