It’s landed – Australia’s first satellite to mobile text messaging product for eligible mobile customers

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. 

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.

Following launch, we will continue to test and refine the service so we can continue to offer the best product we can for customers.

Who is eligible for Telstra Satellite Messaging? 

To access Telstra Satellite Messaging, you’ll need: 

• A compatible mobile device 
• The latest software update 
• To be on a Telstra Upfront Mobile plan (or equivalent Business mobile plan)

Then, when you’re out of reach of Telstra’s mobile network and as long as you’re outdoors with a direct line of sight to the sky, your mobile will automatically seek a satellite connection and once connected, you’ll be able to send a text message to friends and family. 

For eligible customers with a Samsung Galaxy S25 series device that has been updated with the latest Android software or iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, or iPhone 16, Telstra Satellite Messaging will be added to your core plan inclusions and you can start using this service as soon as it’s enabled. The roll out of Telstra Satellite Messaging for all eligible customers should be completed over the coming weeks.

This means you will be able to send SMS messages via the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite network to standard Australian and International numbers, in most places throughout Australia when the mobile network is unavailable and you are outdoors with a direct line of sight to the sky. 

Not a Samsung Galaxy S25 series or iPhone user? Telstra Satellite Messaging will be rolled out to more devices and we will keep customers updated on our website as this happens. 

In the future, satellite to mobile capability is expected to extend beyond text messaging to enable data and making calls.  

How to access Telstra Satellite Messaging

If you’re an eligible customer with a supported device, then you’ll be able to start using Telstra Satellite Messaging once it’s enabled. You can then use Satellite Messaging when you are outdoors beyond the reaches of our mobile network coverage and within the Starlink Direct to Cell satellite coverage area, with a clear line of sight to the sky. 

The Starlink satellite coverage area includes those areas beyond the range of Telstra’s mobile network on mainland Australia and Tasmania, excluding the Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia and remote offshore territories and islands of Australia.

When our mobile network is unavailable, your compatible device will automatically seek to connect to the satellite network.  Once connected to a satellite with Starlink Direct to Cell capabilities, you will be able to send and receive text messages.

What to expect with Telstra Satellite Messaging  

Our satellite messaging product is an intermittent service with the time it takes to send and receive messages dependent on your location, your device, and the availability of Starlink Direct to Cell satellites. This means customers are likely to find that some messages are sent or received almost instantly, while others may take many minutes or longer. 

Telstra Satellite Messaging will mostly benefit people who live or travel outside mobile networks in regional and remote parts of the country, for the farmer in the back paddock who wants to check on when their family member will be getting back from town; for the outdoor enthusiast in the middle of a hike checking in with family or letting them know they’ll be late home; or for the road trippers experiencing a flat tyre and needing to reach out for help. 

Telstra Satellite Messaging is not designed to be an emergency service, especially as you cannot text Australian emergency responders (e.g. Triple Zero) directly. So, if you’re planning on visiting remote regions, it is always recommended to plan ahead and take extra precautions in the case of an emergency.

Learn More

For more details on how to use and access Telstra Satellite Messaging, you can head to our website.