News
The UK’s largest telecoms operator is considering teaming up with Elon Musk’s satellite venture despite already having an agreement in place with local low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite comms firm OneWeb
This week, reports suggest that BT has entered into discussions with SpaceX over using its growing LEO satellite constellation Starlink to provide connectivity to rural areas of the UK.
The talks appear to centre around supporting enterprise customers in remote locations, such as oil rigs and mining operations, which are typically difficult to provide connectivity for using traditional, terrestrial solutions. Starlink will be used to provide fixed wireless access services at these locations, as well as bolstering mobile connectivity.
It is worth noting here that BT is already a major partner of Starlink’s rival OneWeb, having first signed a deal with the UK-based satellite operator back in 2021. Live trial’s combining the two companies’ technology have been underway since early 2022, with the company’s most recent update being a deployment on Lundy Island last summer.
Exactly why BT is exploring its options with Starlink rather than through its partnership with OneWeb has not been explained, but it may be related to Starlink’s growing direct-to-device capabilities.
Starlink has been seeking to deliver satellite connectivity directly to consumers’ unmodified smartphones for the past year, eschewing the typical satellite terminal that acts as an intermediary between the satellite and the consumer. Given Starlink’s global coverage, this would theoretically allow every subscriber to remain connected anywhere they had an unobstructed view of the sky.
Starlink launched its first direct-to-device capable satellites at the start of this year and completed its first text using satellite in combination with T-Mobile’s network last week. SpaceX plans to expand its direct-to-device services to encompass voice, data, and IoT services in 2025.
BT confirming earlier this week that it was already testing Starlink technology at its R&D facility Adastral Park.
Exactly what these talks may mean for BT’s relationship with OneWeb remains to be seen. For a time it appeared that each of the UK’s major mobile operators would have its own unique LEO satellite partner; BT had partnered with OneWeb, Virgin Media O2 was trialling Starlink technology, and Vodafone (currently seeking to merge with the UK’s fourth mobile operator, Three UK) has struck a deal with Amazon’s nascent Project Kuiper constellation.
If BT ultimately switches its satellite focus to Starlink, OneWeb could find itself out in the cold in its home market of the UK.
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