One NZ Satellite TXT Gains Strong Traction in First Year
One year after launch, One New Zealand has said that customers have sent more than 7 million messages using its nationwide Satellite TXT service, powered by Starlink Direct to Device (D2D).
The service works on more than 70 smartphone models, giving around 700,000 eligible customers the ability to send texts anywhere with a clear view of the sky, which covers the roughly 40% of New Zealand’s landmass not served by terrestrial mobile networks, plus offshore areas.
One NZ reports strong uptake among trampers, farmers, maritime users, and remote workers, as well as increased reliance during extreme weather events. During recent storms and power outages, satellite messaging traffic surged by 300% as ground infrastructure went offline.
Beyond texting, One NZ has already expanded into satellite IoT, enabling smart sensors and remote monitoring outside cellular coverage. Limited satellite data access via select apps is expected to roll out next, marking a gradual progression from messaging toward richer NTN services.
As one of the world’s first nationwide Starlink D2D deployments, One NZ’s first-year results offer an early indicator of how satellite-to-smartphone services can scale at a national level, particularly in countries with challenging geography and large rural coverage gaps.