SMS from anywhere in Australia free with Telstra via Starlink
Submitted: Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 19:26
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Michael ( Moss Vale NSW)
Today Telstra announced that SMS is now available anywhere in Australia Free if you own a Samsung S25 and have it on a post paid account. It's connected through Starlink so that would be a significant advancement in remote communication where you can SMS any mobile phone in the country, as long as your phone has access to open sky. So now 100% of the country is connected by a Telstra service. This is SMS only and the other Telcos are also testing this advancement also, so I guess it will become a standard feature as it filters down through the cheaper phones eventually. Michael
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 20:10
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 20:10
Read more here
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
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Reply By: Gronk - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 21:38
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 21:38
Good news for all 48 people who own the latest model Samsung S25 !
Hopefully it will become a standard feature in all phones.
What is the catch going to be ? Telstra offering a service thats free doesn’t seem like Telstra ??
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 23:21
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 at 23:21
Read the link I posted above.
Not up to Telstra. They are the contractor that provides the UMSO (Universal Mobile Service Obligation) to the government.
"Labor promised to include LEOsat
services in the federal government's universal mobile service obligation (UMSO) by 2027 if it was elected at the most recent poll.
This would require telcos to offer satellite
services alongside mobile and fixed
services."
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
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Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 11:38
Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 11:38
iPhones, since iPhone 14, have had satellite text emergency communication - so for at least a couple of years. It's the primary reason I bought an iPhone 16. As soon as there is no signal available the satellite option shows up.
The difference, perhaps, with this new announcement is that the service is via the service provider (albeit restricted to one phone model) rather than via the phone manufacturer. Also it is not referred to as an 'emergency service', so perhaps a bit broader.
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 12:06
Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 12:06
It maybe more than just software, hence the S25 samsung being the latest and best model. It will filter down to most new phones no doubt but what a great advancement. A PLB would still be advisable being for Emergencies, but this feature would be good enough for most other communications for most travellers.
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Reply By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 13:24
Thursday, Jun 05, 2025 at 13:24
The way we read this, with "voice calls still 2 years away", the technology is still in its infancy and will mean data (like what you get with Starlink) is not on the cards anytime soon.
Just a point worth commenting on - as some of you know from our recent blog, when I had my bike crash I was alone - DAvid had gone on just ahead and out of sight. Whilst I was dazed from a black out and a serious crash with extensive broken bones, I couldn't not manage to use my phone successfully - despite being an iPhone 15, I was offline and couldn't make the emergency messaging service work to my liking. I only wanted to reach David to tell him what happened and to come back - not reach 000 yet. I was quite confused - and fiddling with the phone repeatedly sure that it should work but it wouldn't do what I wanted. However David later confirmed with me that regardless the area we were in was so heavily forested and against the wall of a steep mountain that we would not have got satellite connection.
Michelle
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