After a few users reported seeing the option for Rogers Satellite service on their phones, the carrier has now fully launched its new satellite coverage option.
In a press release, Rogers says that with the help of Starlink satellites, its customers can now get service in 5.4 million square kilometres around the country. The service is launching in a free beta and will support texting and text-to-911 services. Over time, it will expand to include full voice, data and more.
Rogers appears to be building its satellite offerings similarly to how T-Mobile did in the U.S. a few weeks ago. Anyone with a Rogers ‘Ultimate’ plan will get the feature for free, and anyone else in Canada who wants to use it will need to pay $15 per month. If you participate in the beta test, Rogers will give you $5 off monthly for your first year. The beta is expected to end on October 31, 2025.
The service will fully work on the following phones if you’re a Rogers subscriber:
- iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 (all models)
- Samsung Galaxy S25 (including Plus, Ultra and Edge)
- Motorola Razr 2025
- Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
- Motorola Razr+ 2024
- Motorola Edge 2025
If you are not a Rogers subscriber, you can only use the service with all of the above phones except for the iPhone 13.
Rogers’ support page also clarifies that a few other phones will work, but are not satellite optimized. That said, they will still work with SMS and text-to-911 over satellite. These include the following;
- Samsung Galaxy S24, S23, S22, S21, S20, S10, A5
- Google Pixel 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (all models). Note that Google Pixel 6, 7, 8 and 9 must have their Carrier Location settings enabled.
Rogers notes that you might need to install a carrier upgrade to get the service to work on iPhones. To do this, go into the General section of the Settings app, then choose ‘About.’ From there, you should see an option to ‘Accept Carrier Bundle Update.’
If you’re not a Rogers customer, you can learn how to sign up for the beta test on the carrier’s website.
Other information
The Canadian telecom partnered with Starlink for this service two years ago, and then, in January 2024, the satellite internet provider launched its first direct-to-cell satellites. At first, Rogers planned to launch its satellite service in 2024, but it seems to have been pushed back. In the new press release, Rogers doesn’t mention Starlink but clarifies that it’s using low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
Now, there are over 400 Starlink direct-to-cell satellites in orbit around the Earth. T-Mobile in the U.S. has announced that it’s launching its satellite service by the end of July. It’s been in beta for a few months already.
In February 2025, Starlink mentioned that it was testing its service in Canada, Australia, Chile and Japan with network partners and hoped to launch within the year. In Canada, that partner is Rogers. The same document also mentions that the service will start with messaging and contacting emergency services, but will expand to support “IoT devices, data, and voice.”
Apple already offers a similar feature for free for two years with each iPhone purchase. However, this Rogers option will also allow Android phones with satellite capability to connect in remote regions of the country. T-Mobile plans to sell roaming packs for US$10 to let other U.S. residents roam on its satellite network.
Telus is also testing a satellite-to-phone service with the Canadian satellite internet company Terrestar Solutions, but from our chat with the CEO of Terrestar, that seems at least a few years away. Bell has no public plans for satellite-to-cell service yet, but a Globe and Mail report from 2023 says that Bell’s “corporate venture capital arm, Bell Ventures, is an investor in AST SpaceMobile, which bills itself as a “leading direct-to-cell technology company building space-based cellular broadband.”
You can read all the FAQs and other questions on Rogers’ website.
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