Telstra’s new Satellite Messaging Service – Australia’s first satellite to mobile text messaging service – is now available for Telstra customers who are on a month to month mobile plan.
And at launch it will only work with a device from the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.
It is believed it will also work with iPhone 14 and later in the next few days.
More devices that will work with the service will be announced in the coming weeks.
This means customers outside Telstra’s cellular network with a clear line of sight to the sky will be able to send and receive text messages via the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite network.
When the Telstra network is unavailable, devices will seek out a satellite connection.
And Telstra plans to extend this service to one day include calls and data via satellite.
“As part of our collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink Direct to Cell, eligible Telstra customers can enjoy an additional layer of connectivity to share text messages to friends or family when outside the coverage of our mobile network,” says Telstra consumer executive Tom Beach.
“Being able to send or receive a text message from an outdoor location that is beyond the range of our mobile network is a significant step forward and reinforces our commitment to pioneer new connectivity options for Australians.
“Today’s launch follows months of testing and many trials with our engineers and employees who have been using the technology right across Australia, including in some of our most remote locations, to check it is working as it should.
“As a new technology, satellite to mobile messaging is currently limited to text messaging only, and, whilst complementary, this service is separate and performs differently to our mobile network.
“Our mobile network will continue to deliver a faster, higher quality, and more reliable experience, supporting a broader range of services such as voice, web browsing, video calling, and streaming.”
Eligible customers with a Samsung Galaxy S25 series device running the latest software will have Telstra Satellite Messaging added to their plan.
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 includes satellite connectivity for emergency SOS.
Samsung is also expected to expand compatibility to more Galaxy devices in the months ahead.
The service will be rolled out to other customers with post-paid plans, including iPhone users, in the next few weeks.
It is understood devices which already have emergency SOS via satellite connectivity will work with the Telstra Satellite Service.
That feature was launched with the iPhone 14 and is included in the iPhones released since then.
Telstra is also reportedly working closely with Google to enable Satellite Service to Pixel devices soon.
Telstra will update its website as more devices are enabled to work with the new service.
But Telstra’s new satellite service can NOT be used as an emergency service as you are unable to text 000 directly anyway.
