Summary
- GSMA Intelligence and Viasat surveyed 12,390 mobile users across 12 countries, including the UK, about satellite-connected smartphone services.
- More than a third say they lose basic mobile services at least twice a month, with the most frequent outages in India, Indonesia and South Africa.
- Emergency SOS and satellite messaging attract the strongest interest, while demand for satellite data and video is highest in emerging markets.
- Around 60% of respondents are willing to pay 5–7% more on their bill for satellite features, and 47% would switch operator to get better coverage.
- Awareness of satellite functions ranges from high in India to low in Japan, as UK operators and Ofcom start to shape their own direct-to-device plans.
A new GSMA Intelligence and Viasat study suggests demand is building for smartphones that can fall back to satellites when mobile signal drops out. The research, carried out in May and June 2025, found that many people still lose mobile coverage several times a month and that a clear majority would pay extra for satellite-based features if their operator offered them.
The survey looked at 12,390 mobile users across 12 markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Africa, the UK and the USA. Each market contributed at least a thousand respondents. They were asked about their current coverage experience, their awareness of satellite services that connect directly to ordinary phones, and how interested they are in different use cases such as emergency SOS, messaging, voice calls and data.
GSMA–Viasat survey scope
GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the global mobile industry body, worked with Viasat to test how people feel about direct-to-device satellite services. These are services where a satellite links directly to a normal 4G or 5G smartphone, using mobile spectrum bands, without needing a separate satellite phone or satellite hotspot.
Because Viasat and other satellite providers are investing heavily in this area, they have an obvious interest in the answers. Even so, the survey gives a useful cross-section of views from both advanced and emerging markets, with the UK alongside countries with very different network conditions such as India and South Africa.
Signal gaps across 12 markets
The first headline from the study is that signal blackspots are still common. Across the full sample, more than a third of people say they lose access to basic mobile services – calls, texts or mobile data – at least twice a month.
A separate chart looks at the share of users who, in the last month, were unable to use a service more than five times because they had no signal. It tracks four activities: SMS, messaging apps, voice calls and mobile internet.
| Country | SMS | Messaging app | Voice calls | Mobile internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 13% | 21% | 15% | 23% |
| India | 21% | 37% | 32% | 37% |
| Indonesia | 9% | 35% | 16% | 35% |
| France | 26% | 21% | 19% | 27% |
| South Africa | 10% | 27% | 19% | 28% |
| USA | 24% | 17% | 18% | 25% |
| Italy | 9% | 26% | 14% | 24% |
| UK | 14% | 18% | 11% | 22% |
| Brazil | 6% | 22% | 13% | 20% |
| Australia | 15% | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Canada | 16% | 14% | 12% | 17% |
| Germany | 8% | 18% | 10% | 18% |
| Japan | 6% | 7% | 5% | 15% |
India, Indonesia and South Africa stand out. In those markets, a sizeable minority say they hit that “five times or more” threshold for all four activities. That means frequent points in the month where they cannot message, call or go online at all.
Japan, Germany and Canada are at the other end of the spectrum, with far fewer respondents reporting repeated gaps. The UK, France, Italy, Brazil and Australia fall in the middle: fewer people are cut off more than five times, but plenty still report regular problems.
For users, these gaps affect more than just convenience. They touch safety in rural areas and on road networks, reliability for people who work on the move, and confidence that maps, ticketing apps and banking will be available when needed.
Demand for SOS, messaging and data
The survey then looks at how interested people are in satellite features on their existing phone when they are outside mobile coverage.
Emergency SOS comes out on top. Across all 12 markets, this is the most popular use case, with a large share of respondents describing themselves as very interested in being able to send an emergency message or share location details via satellite when there is no mobile or Wi-Fi signal.
| Country | SOS | Messaging | Voice calls | Video / data services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 39% | 35% | ||
| Brazil | 65% | 58% | 63% | 70% |
| South Africa | 64% | 57% | 62% | 66% |
| India | 51% | 47% | 56% | 55% |
| Indonesia | 44% | 40% | 47% | 58% |
| USA | 37% | 39% | 39% | 38% |
| Canada | 30% | 33% | 32% | 28% |
| Australia | 36% | 32% | 30% | 28% |
| UK | 33% | 31% | 30% | 28% |
| France | 32% | 30% | 29% | 25% |
| Italy | 35% | 26% | 32% | 31% |
| Germany | 38% | 23% | 28% | 27% |
| Japan | 12% | 7% | 10% | 11% |
Satellite messaging is next. Many people like the idea of still being able to use basic text-based chat, even if only in a limited way, when they would otherwise be offline. Voice calls over satellite follow behind SOS and messaging.
On the charts, Brazil, South Africa, India and Indonesia show the highest “very interested” scores across SOS, messaging and voice. In those countries, satellite connectivity is seen as a way to keep life and work moving in places where mobile coverage is patchy.
For satellite data and video calling, interest is lower overall but still meaningful. Again, emerging markets such as India and Brazil report stronger enthusiasm for satellite-delivered web browsing and video than European and North American markets. In richer countries, people currently seem more focused on safety and basic communication than on running full data sessions over satellite.
Extra cost users will accept
To test the commercial opportunity, GSMA Intelligence and Viasat asked respondents how much more they would be prepared to pay on their monthly bill for satellite features.
Globally, about six in ten say they would accept some increase. Among that group, the typical uplift they report is in the low to mid single digits as a percentage of their current spend, with an average in the 5–7% range. In India, the survey points to an even higher figure, closer to 9%.
The study also explores how satellite could influence customer churn. Across the full sample, 47% of people say they would switch mobile operator if their current provider left them without coverage in traditional dead zones while a competitor offered coverage there via satellite.
Taken together, these data points suggest a limited but real opportunity. There is scope for operators to charge a bit extra for satellite connectivity, but the headroom for price rises is not huge. At the same time, moving early with a workable satellite option could help retain customers who are fed up with gaps in their current network.
Awareness gaps by country
Another part of the research looks at how familiar people are with satellite functions on smartphones.
In India, where there has been extensive coverage of space-based connectivity and strong interest in space projects more broadly, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed say they have heard about satellite features on phones. In Japan, the figure is only about a quarter. Other countries fall between these two.
Awareness is likely to reflect a mix of factors: media reporting, marketing by handset brands and operators, and the visibility of early services like Apple’s satellite SOS features. Regardless of the cause, it leaves mobile operators and satellite partners with an uneven starting point.
In some markets, customers already expect satellite to appear on new devices and may be disappointed if their provider lags behind. In others, providers may need to start by explaining what satellite connectivity actually does, where it will function, and what kind of charges might apply.
Early satellite-to-phone services
Direct-to-device satellite connectivity is no longer just a slide in a conference presentation. There are real services live today, though they are still limited.
Apple offers Emergency SOS and related satellite functions on recent iPhone models in a growing number of countries. These features allow users to send compressed emergency messages via satellite when they are out of mobile range, and Apple has extended free access beyond its original timeframe. Google is rolling out satellite SOS on selected Pixel phones, with Android partners exploring similar tools.
On the network side, Starlink is working with mobile operators to support text and basic app data from satellites direct to phones. AST SpaceMobile has carried out trials with Vodafone and others, including voice and video calls over satellite to ordinary 4G and 5G handsets. Other firms, such as Lynk and Viasat’s own satellite assets, are exploring compatible approaches.
At this stage, most commercial offers focus on emergency messaging and low-bandwidth services. Data speeds are modest, connections often require a clear view of the sky, and pricing models are still emerging.
UK operators and regulation
For the UK, the survey’s findings arrive at a time when Ofcom and the mobile operators are actively weighing up how to bring satellite-to-phone services into the mainstream.
On the regulatory side, Ofcom has been consulting on how to authorise satellite use of mobile spectrum bands. The aim is to let satellites share frequencies with existing terrestrial networks in a controlled way, so operators can extend reach without causing interference.
Operators are already moving. Virgin Media O2 has announced “O2 Satellite”, a Starlink-backed service intended to improve rural coverage and provide extra resilience during outages. Vodafone is working with AST SpaceMobile as part of a wider plan to extend mobile reach from space, building on trials that have already demonstrated satellite calls to ordinary smartphones. BT Group has indicated interest in low-Earth orbit partnerships as part of its broader network strategy.
For UK users, the most likely early stage is emergency and messaging support on newer phones rather than full satellite data for everyday use. Over time, satellite could become a standard part of higher-end mobile plans, giving people more confidence that maps, messaging and basic online tasks will still function in places that are currently dead zones.
Pricing, capacity and device limits
The GSMA–Viasat survey paints a positive picture for satellite-enabled smartphones, but several key questions remain.
Pricing is one of them. While many users say they would pay a bit more, the tolerance for larger price jumps looks limited. UK operators will need to decide whether to build satellite into standard tariffs, restrict it to premium plans, or sell it as a small add-on for those who want it.
Capacity is another constraint. Satellite networks have far less bandwidth than nationwide 4G and 5G networks. If large numbers of people try to use satellite data at once, providers will need to prioritise low-bandwidth uses such as SOS and basic messaging to keep latency and reliability within acceptable limits.
Device support also matters. Early satellite features have launched on higher-end phones. The pace at which similar capabilities reach mid-range handsets, and whether existing devices can be updated, will determine how widely satellite connectivity is available.
The study shows that people want their phones to stay useful when they move out of coverage, and many are ready to pay a little extra for that reassurance. For UK networks, the challenge now is to turn that interest into realistic services, without over-claiming what satellites can deliver in the short term.
