SpaceX's Starlink satellite-to-cell service has reached a national coverage milestone in New Zealand, albeit with some limitations. One NZ says it is the first global telecommunications company to offer a nationwide satellite text messaging service through Starlink. Starlink has also signed partners in Canada, Australia, Japan, Peru, Switzerland and Chile, partnering with T-Mobile in the US.
Currently, only four phone models are supported: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and OPPO Find X8 Pro. Eligibility is expected to expand to more devices next year. Most text messages can be sent and received within three minutes during the initial launch. according to OneNZalthough that may increase to “10 minutes or more” during the first few months.
“We continue to test the capabilities of One NZ Satellite TXT and this is an initial service that will improve. For example, text messages will take longer to send, but will get faster over time,” said Joe Goddard, chief commercial and experience officer at One NZ. “We are starting with a small number of phones as part of the phased rollout of the technology. And most importantly, starting today customers can only send and receive text messages, but in the future we hope that voice calls and data will also be available.”
The One NZ Satellite TXT service will be free for existing customers on paid monthly plans. One NZ has not revealed whether new customers or those with other contracts will have to pay an additional fee to access satellite-to-cellular coverage.
