Virgin Media O2 a testé son service O2 Satellite à 3 £ (≈ 4,02 $) par mois dans le Snowdonia, environ huit mois après le lancement de l’offre commerciale en février. Le service s’appuie sur Starlink de SpaceX pour une connectivité satellite direct-to-device (via totaltele.com).
Le test a été mené par Rob Joyce, directeur de l’ingénierie de l’accès mobile chez Virgin Media O2. O2 Satellite utilise le spectre de la bande 1 800 MHz.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Price | £3 (≈ $4.02) per month |
| Launch | February |
| Test location | Snowdonia |
| Spectrum band | 1,800 MHz |
| Coverage gain | 89% to 95% |
| Current satellites | around 650 |
| V2 launch timing | next year |
| V2 throughput | roughly 20 times |
How the Snowdonia test behaved
À Pen-y-Pass, les téléphones ont affiché le symbole SAT et se sont connectés au réseau satellite. Le service était intermittent, mais il a permis d’envoyer des textos, d’utiliser des applications et de passer des appels vocaux via internet.
Joyce a indiqué que la pluie ne devrait provoquer qu’une très faible atténuation à 1 800 MHz. D’après l’article, si les appareils ont d’abord échoué à se connecter, c’est parce qu’ils tentaient encore de joindre le réseau terrestre.
What the current system can do
Joyce said each Starlink satellite can deliver around 50 spot beams, each covering roughly 50 km in diameter and about 4 Mbps across its user base. He said satellite has lifted O2’s overall network coverage from 89% of the UK to 95%.
That still leaves O2 Satellite in a narrow lane: basic connectivity, not a substitute for full mobile service. Joyce said the service is not meant to replace cellular and remains a complementary technology.
V2 satellites and the 800 MHz angle
Starlink’s direct-to-device service is currently reliant on around 650 satellites. SpaceX is expected to begin launching its V2 satellites next year, and the article says those satellites should have roughly 20 times the throughput of V1.
The same story points to a second spectrum thread. SpaceX recently bought 14 MHz of 800 MHz spectrum in the United States, and Joyce said O2 owns 10 MHz in that same band.
What it means for U.S. buyers
For U.S. fleet operators and enterprise wireless teams, the story is a reminder that direct-to-device satellite remains a complementary layer rather than a cellular replacement. The 800 MHz spectrum purchase also shows that spectrum control still shapes how these services may scale, which matters for carrier choice and backup planning.
Droam Perspective
For satellite connectivity buyers, the useful read is that Virgin Media O2 is still treating O2 Satellite as a narrow service rather than a full mobile substitute. That is consistent with Joyce’s view that satellite will remain complementary, even as SpaceX prepares V2 launches and higher throughput.
Dollar amounts marked ≈ are approximate conversions at reference rates (£1 = $1.34).