Telstra Expands Starlink Satellite Service Beyond SMS to Maps, WhatsApp and More

Telstra is expanding its satellite services through StarLink to include some data services across Australia having last year launched Australia’s first Satellite messaging service through the Low Earth Orbit Satellite provider.

Using a compatible device, Telstra customers will be able to use a selection of apps that use data on the Telstra network when outside the range of the Telstra Mobile Network.

This allows you to do things like check directions in Maps, message friends on WhatsApp and more.

To make it work, you need to be remote. Like, out of the city folks.  If your mobile is outside the range of Telstra Mobile, and you’re in line of sight of the sky, your phone itself can communicate with StarLink satellites and this addition means you can do more than just SMS messaging.

But, as I’ve said, it’s NOT just blanket data.  You can’t stream Netflix out there.

Telstra calls them “Select Satellite Apps”, which have lighter capabilities and essentially less drain on the data network.

Supported apps currently include: 

• Navigation apps, including Apple Maps, Google Maps, and AllTrails;
• Messaging apps, including iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Signal and Google Messages;
• Weather apps, including Apple’s Weather app, AccuWeather, and Google Weather;
• Google Fitness, and of course, the My Telstra app

Telstra say that app developers need to enable and optimise their apps for Satellite use, supporting light data activities instead of intensive use of data.

To use Telstra Select Satellite apps you’ll need a device in the Samsung Galaxy S26 family, or an iPhone 13 or newer.

It’s also only available on Telstra Upfront Mobile or Telstra Business Mobile plans.

The new data service is available to those customers now.

Since launching 13 months ago the access to Satellite messaging has been a big win for Telstra, the company reporting that over 26 million texts have been sent or received using Telstra Satellite Messaging with daily connections jumping from around 80,000 at launch to 200,000 today.

Peak usage is weekends and holidays, but it’s not just WhatsApp with your mates, during the bushfires in Victoria earlier this year there was a stark increase in usage due to outages on the Telstra mobile network as a result of power outages or fire damage.

What we need now is a forward thinking government to get their act together on legislation and regulation around a modern telco network so all the telcos can embrace Satellite to give Aussie’s better service – everywhere – literally.