Jack Loughran Tue 9 Dec 2025
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2025/12/09/ofcom-approves-satellite-powered-4g-and-5g-eliminate-mobile-blackspots
Ofcom has approved plans to allow satellite operators and mobile networks to begin providing customers with 4G and 5G signal from space.
The decision, which will see the UK become the first country to approve the technology in western Europe, should help to eliminate mobile blackspots across the country.
‘Direct-to-device’ services allow a standard smartphone to connect to 4G and 5G straight from space without the need for any specialised hardware. In short, it means satellites are able to act like giant mobile phone masts using a phased-array antenna to focus the signal into narrow beams aimed at the Earth.
These are strong enough for a phone to connect to without thousands of watts of power. Although the signal emitted from smartphones is very weak, the satellites are equipped with large, sensitive antennas and advanced signal processing that allow them to process the signal.
Ofcom said the technology will be of particular benefit to rural and hard-to-reach communities with patchy coverage or areas suffering outages.
So far it has only been rolled out widely in one other European country, Ukraine. The early deployment there was to ensure that coverage could be maintained during wartime where critical communications infrastructure on the ground could be damaged.
O2 has already announced plans to partner with Elon Musk’s Starlink to introduce satellite connectivity by early 2026, while Vodafone has signed a deal with AST to bring these services to its customers.
Any mobile network operator that intends to provide direct-to-device services will need to request a change to its Ofcom licence.
As this technology will utilise frequencies that are already used by the mobile sector, there are rules that companies will need to follow to avoid interference including protections to avoid disruption to air traffic control stations and mobile networks in neighbouring countries.
David Willis, Ofcom’s group director for spectrum, said: “With satellite technology, in future you could send selfies from Scafell Pike, livestream from Lake Windermere or browse bargains from Ben Nevis.
“Mobile operators are already pressing ahead to make the UK the first nation in western Europe to have widespread access to this technology, which will see remote and rural areas be better connected than ever before, unlocking opportunities for communities, businesses and economic growth.”
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