Orange becomes the first European operator to offer satellite SMS service with Skylo

This press release from Orange can be found at: https://newsroom.orange.com/orange-becomes-the-first-european-operator-to-offer-satellite-sms-service-using-direct-to-device-technology/?lang=eng‍

During the Orange OpenTech event in Paris, Orange announces the launch of “Message Satellite”, a service that allows its customers based in mainland France to send and receive SMS messages as well as their geolocation via satellite when mobile or Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable. The service is currently available for use in France and 36 countries to date*.

Available from 11 December 2025 for the general public, and during 2026 for professional and corporate customers, this service consolidates Orange's leadership position in networks and in France by offering the most comprehensive and high-performance range of connectivity solutions on the market. It also illustrates the Group's commitment to continuing its strategy of providing a complete portfolio of mobile, terrestrial, satellite and submarine connectivity solutions, leveraging its innovation and technological diversification capabilities.

Based on a partnership with Skylo, a non-terrestrial network operator (NTN), this offer is available for Orange's 5G and 5G+ customers and will be initially proposed, on an exclusive basis, to those owning a Google Pixel 9 or 10 smartphone. Subsequently, “Message Satellite” will be enriched in terms of services and compatible handsets.

Concrete benefits for customers

This service relies on the “Direct to Device” technology, which allows the smartphone to communicate directly with a satellite. The process is simple: users connect to the satellite through a dedicated SMS interface allowing them to write their message. The satellite then takes over to ensure the sending and receiving of SMS messages via Orange's core mobile network.

The technology ensures reliable and straightforward SMS exchanges, perfectly suited for certain use cases or environments such as:

• Outdoor adventurers and sports enthusiasts: staying connected with loved ones during treks, trail runs, mountain or sea outings.
• Those living or traveling in areas with no coverage in France or abroad.
• Emergency services, logistics or transport operations: for teams operating in isolated or poorly covered areas or after natural disasters when terrestrial networks are disrupted.
• Tourism: for those traveling in mountainous, coastal or rural areas.

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The “Message Satellite” offer will be available as a free option for the first 6 months, then at a price of €5/month.

Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange France, said: “the 'Message Satellite' offer addresses the fundamental need to stay connected with loved ones, even when away. With this new offer, Orange provides a useful and simple innovation that strengthens service continuity for our customers, wherever they are. Being the first operator in France to launch this option demonstrates our leadership and our ambition to provide high-quality connectivity everywhere and for everyone”.

“Orange combines the best available technologies to meet our customers' connectivity needs. The Direct to Device technology is part of this approach, providing readily available and targeted connectivity on your smartphone even in the absence of mobile or Wi-Fi coverage. The launch of this technology in France to enable the sending and receiving of SMS messages is a major first step for the Group, paving the way for an enrichment of services available to Orange customers as technological evolutions continue,” adds Michaël Trabbia, CEO of Orange Wholesale.

For more information in France: visit orange.fr, visit an Orange store, or call 3900.

*The Skylo coverage area includes Germany, England, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain (excluding Canary Islands), Estonia, Finland, mainland France (including Corsica) and Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Brazil, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand.

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