The newly merged UK mobile operator VodafoneThree will soon commence customer trials of a direct-to-device satellite connectivity service. This initiative represents a significant step in the company’s strategy to provide coverage in areas beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial mobile networks.
The trials are a component of an £11 billion network investment program announced in June 2025, following the completion of the merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK. As part of that broader program, the operator has committed to delivering 5G standalone coverage to 99% of the UK population by 2030, with a target of 99.96% by 2034.
Testing Standard Smartphone Connectivity
The upcoming tests will evaluate technology designed to connect standard, unmodified smartphones directly to low-earth-orbit satellites. The goal is to enable voice calls, mobile data, and SMS services without requiring users to have specialized satellite phones or additional hardware. This approach aims to demonstrate how satellite links can offer reliable service in rural, remote, and topographically challenging locations where building and maintaining conventional mobile masts is impractical or economically unviable.
This development builds upon a technical breakthrough achieved approximately one year ago. At that time, Vodafone, in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, successfully completed what it described as the world’s first video call from a standard smartphone connected directly to a low-earth-orbit satellite. That call was placed to an AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellite from a site in rural Wales with no terrestrial mobile signal.
Partnership with Satellite Connect Europe
The customer trials will utilize infrastructure provided by Satellite Connect Europe, a direct-to-device satellite connectivity provider based in Luxembourg. VodafoneThree stated it will become the first UK mobile operator to trial the company’s services. To support the initiative, Satellite Connect Europe will deploy five ground stations within Europe to ensure compliance with regional spectrum regulations.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at VodafoneThree, commented on the partnership’s objective. “This partnership with Satellite Connect Europe supports our ambition to deliver direct-to-device satellite connectivity capable of data, voice and SMS to our customers, leading to the elimination of coverage gaps,” Dona said.
Industry-Wide Focus on Satellite Technology
Direct-to-device satellite connectivity has become a key strategic focus for the global mobile industry. Operators are increasingly viewing it as a method to complement and extend the reach of their ground-based networks. Unlike traditional satellite services that require dedicated user terminals, D2D technology aims to connect everyday smartphones using existing mobile spectrum allocations.
While early commercial services have primarily focused on emergency messaging, the technology is advancing rapidly to support standard voice calls and mobile broadband data. This has attracted significant investment from major technology and telecommunications firms. For instance, SpaceX is developing satellite-to-phone services through its Starlink network in collaboration with operators like T-Mobile US. Separately, Apple introduced emergency satellite messaging via the Globalstar network in 2022.
Vodafone Group has been one of the most active European operators in this domain, conducting extensive tests with AST SpaceMobile. The overarching goal of these collaborations is to seamlessly integrate satellite coverage with standard mobile networks, creating a hybrid connectivity solution.
Future Outlook and Next Steps
The forthcoming customer trials by VodafoneThree are intended to gather practical data on service performance and user experience. Satellite connectivity is expected to play a complementary role to the operator’s massive terrestrial network investment, specifically targeting the small percentage of geographic locations where building physical infrastructure remains a challenge. The successful integration of this technology could mark a pivotal step toward achieving near-ubiquitous mobile coverage across the United Kingdom, aligning with the operator’s long-term coverage commitments for the next decade.
Source: Mobile News CWP
