One NZ Satellite TXT is a service that uses satellite coverage outside of traditional cell-tower coverage. Customers with a Satellite-ready phone and plan can TXT and send photos, short videos and voice notes (with iMessage, RCS and MMS). It is available on a wide range of eligible phones and requires clear line of sight to the sky. Standard charges apply for MMS.

In many cases, TXT/MMS messages will be sent instantly but some may also take minutes to send and receive. If your TXT/MMS fails to send, then try again.

The type of eligible phone you are using, where you are in New Zealand and whether a satellite is currently overhead will all have an impact on whether your TXT/MMS is sent or received and how long it takes.

No. The One NZ Satellite TXT service is an extra layer of protection and will enable two-way communication so you can contact friends or family members when outside traditional cell-tower coverage. If you are planning a trip to a back country or rural area, it is always recommended to take a personal locator beacon in case of emergency.

The service is available on a wide range of eligible phones that we have thoroughly tested.


We cannot guarantee all phones purchased outside of New Zealand will work on One NZ Satellite.

If you are a One NZ customer on one of the eligible mobile plans listed below with an eligible phone, you will be able to send a TXT, iMessage or RCS message on One NZ Satellite at no extra charge. If you send an MMS e.g. a photo, short video or voice note, standard MMS charges will apply.

• Consumer: Current Pay Monthly plans  
• Business: Current Endless Mobile and Teams plans  
• Prepay (for a limited time): Current Prepay plans  

1. Check that you are Satellite Ready.

You need an eligible plan and phone to TXT/MMS through space. Check this before you head out of traditional cell-tower coverage. You can check our cell tower coverage map here . There is nothing else you need to do to enable the service.

If you purchase a new eligible phone, you should unbox and set it up whilst you are in a WiFi or traditional cell-tower coverage area. Please make sure that you have done all the Operating System updates to your phone before you go into One NZ Satellite network coverage.

If its your first time using One NZ Satellite, or if you haven't used it recently your initial connection might take up to 30 minutes - after that, it should connect instantly.

2. Ensure that you have clear line-of-sight to the sky.

Finding open spaces or an area that's unobstructed by things such as buildings, trees, structures etc. will help your phone 'find' the satellites. If you are near a window it's likely that your phone will also 'find' a satellite. You don't need to hold your phone towards the sky in order for it to connect to a satellite.

3. Look for 'One NZ SpaceX' on your phones network banner.

The One NZ SpaceX network banner at the top left of your phone screen shows when your phone is connected to a satellite. There will be short gaps where the banner will disappear but don't worry; the next satellite should come within minutes and the banner will reappear.

4. Send your TXT/MMS via the TXT app on your phone.

One NZ Satellite TXT is amazing new technology and doesn't work like standard mobile cell-tower technology. In many cases, TXT/MMS messages will be sent and received instantly but some may also take minutes to send and receive.

You can check whether your TXT/MMS has been sent by looking for the time stamp and it may take some time to send. If your TXT/MMS fails to send, ensure clear line of sight to the sky and wait for One NZ SpaceX to appear on your network banner, then try again. Open spaces and moving away from foliage, large structures etc. can also help with this.

iMessage (for iPhone to iPhone) and RCS (for Android to Android) are also supported if you have this activated on your phone already.

If you are expecting to receive a TXT/MMS while you are out of traditional cell-tower coverage, make sure your phone has a clear line of sight to the sky. Any TXTs/MMS waiting to be delivered to your phone should be received when the next Starlink satellite passes overhead.

The type of eligible phone you are using, where you are in New Zealand and whether a satellite is currently overhead will all have an impact on whether your TXT/MMS is sent or received and how long it takes.

Currently One NZ Satellite TXT will only work for sending and receiving TXT/MMS messages. Making 111 Emergency Calls will not be possible where you have no traditional cell-tower network coverage on any of the NZ mobile networks. If you need help, and you have an eligible phone and plan you will be able to send a TXT/MMS message to family, friends or colleagues for assistance.

If you are registered for this service with NZ Police and you have clear line of sight to the sky (with an eligible plan and phone) then yes, you can send a 111 TXT to the NZ Police 111 TXT service.

For more information on the NZ Police 111 TXT service visit this page:
111 TXT for hearing and speech difficulties | New Zealand Police

As long as you have a clear line of sight to the sky the weather should not affect how the service works, except for extreme weather events which may have some impact. If you are unsure whether your TXT/MMS has sent, look for the time stamp just like you would on your usual mobile network. If it shows an error message, please try to send the TXT/MMS again.

Whether you are trying to use One NZ's traditional cell-tower network or One NZ's satellite network, the availability of that mobile network or the services you can get on our mobile networks is never guaranteed. There could be temporary capability or technical issues that cause an impact on our mobile networks and as always we attempt to resolve these as quickly as possible.

iPhone - to use all currently available functions and get the best experience ensure:

• You are on the latest iOS, which is iOS26. Go to Apple Support to see how to update iOS.
• You have iMessage enabled.

Android - to use all currently available functions and get the best experience ensure:

• You are on the latest software - Android 15 or 16 depending on your phone model. To update or check you are on the latest software, search for 'software update' in your settings. MMS will only work on phones that have Android 16 software or above.
• You are on the latest version of the Google Messages mobile app, and you have RCS enabled.

The One NZ satellite network powered by Starlink provides coverage to the approximately 40% of New Zealand's landmass that has no traditional cell-tower coverage due to the tricky terrain and the length and geography of the country. It also offers and additional layer of security and resilience including when disaster strikes and traditional telecommunication infrastructure fails. The One NZ Satellite network can also be used out to 85 nautical miles offshore.

The emergency response service is limited to basic texting (SMS) only, iMessage, RCS and MMS messages for emergency response service are not supported. We provide this essential service to all 4G VoLTE Roaming capable phones in an emergency when getting connected with friends and family is crucial.

If you've experienced the benefit of One NZ Satellite in an emergency and want to find out more about how to use it every day, see one.nz/satellite.

No there is nothing special you need to do. While you are in a traditional cell tower coverage or WiFi area complete the set-up of your new phone as you usually would. Once you're set up, One NZ Satellite will connect automatically when you are outside traditional cell tower coverage and a satellite passes overhead. The first time you go out of traditional cell tower coverage or if you haven't been outside of this coverage for a while it may take up to 30 minutes to connect to the One NZ Satellite network.


You will have the best user experience if you are on the latest software for your phone. If you are an Android user you can check your software version by searching for ‘software information’ in your settings. To update your software or check you are on the latest software for your phone, search for ‘software update’ in your settings.

One NZ Satellite TXT and Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite are two different services making use of different sets of satellites.

Apple Emergency SOS via satellite
For more information, please visit Emergency SOS via satellite on apple.com

One NZ Satellite TXT
One NZ customers with an iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17, as well as, iPhone Air and an eligible plan can use the One NZ Satellite TXT service when out of One NZ traditional cell-tower coverage.

The One NZ SpaceX SAT banner indicates that you are connected to the One NZ Satellite TXT service. When you see this banner, you can TXT friends, family or colleagues. The service is available whenever a satellite is passing over. There will be short gaps but the next satellite should come within minutes and the banner will reappear.

If you have iMessage activated on your iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17, or iPhone Air and are eligible for One NZ Satellite TXT service you are able to send and receive iMessages, including texts, photos, short videos and voice notes to another iPhone. If you send a multimedia message by MMS rather than iMessage then standard MMS charges apply.

If you have RCS activated on your phone and are eligible for One NZ Satellite TXT services you are able to send and receive RCS messages, including texts, photos, short videos and voice notes to another Android phone. If you are using RCS to send a TXT and it fails, please try resending your TXT again as an SMS. If you send a multimedia message by MMS rather than RCS then standard MMS charges apply.

To ensure you receive an RCS text message as quickly as possible, you can open your messaging app, and the message should arrive straight away. This issue is not due to a satellite delay. It is presently being worked on with our Android partners.

One NZ Satellite includes the ability to send emojis in your TXT. You can also send multimedia messages (MMS) such as photos, short videos and voice notes - standard MMS charges apply.


For Android, MMS will only work on phones that have Android 16 software or above.
If you are an Android user you can check your software version by searching for 'software information' in your settings. To update your software or check you are on the latest software for your phone, search for 'software update' in your settings.

Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger cannot be used with One NZ Satellite at present. This may change in the future.

At this stage One NZ Satellite TXT is only available in NZ. We will have more details to share on roaming in other destinations in the future.

Yes, you can use One NZ Satellite TXT to send or receive a short code (like a verification pin from your bank), or a premium short code (like using a 4 digit number to donate to a charity). Please note in some instances a charge may apply, see One NZ Premium TXT.

Yes, One NZ Satellite TXT is available for a limited time on active Prepay plans with eligible phones at no extra charge. Standard charges apply for MMS. You can check out the eligible phones here.

To send a TXT/MMS via One NZ Satellite, Prepay customers must have an active Prepay plan, which means they need to have either TXT entitlements left on their plan or sufficient credit. If you are on hold but still have credit, you will be charged casual TXT or MMS rates. If you have no TXT entitlements or credit left, you wont be able to send a TXT/MMS via One NZ Satellite.

If your phone is on the eligible phone list and you're connected with an eligible One NZ mobile plan, you should be able to connect to One NZ Satellite but we cannot guarantee all phones purchased overseas will work.
If your phone is on the eligible phone list and you're connected with an eligible One NZ mobile plan, you should be able to connect to One NZ Satellite but we cannot guarantee all phones purchased overseas will work.

One NZ Satellite TXT only works on eligible phones at the moment, other devices will not be eligible initially but may be added in the future.

Yes, as long as you have an eligible plan and phone.

We intend to use One NZ Satellite TXT to send emergency alerts to phones capable of receiving an emergency alert regardless of the provider. This service is not yet live, and we will provide further information on our website as the technology evolves.

It means that the phone One NZ is advertising with this icon has been tested and is eligible to use One NZ Satellite TXT.

It uses SpaceX's breakthrough Starlink Direct to Mobile satellite technology and One New Zealand's award-winning mobile network - independently tested by global leader in mobile testing, umlaut in April 2025. One New Zealand has dedicated part of its mid-band radio spectrum to enable the service, using 4G/LTE technology.

One NZ Satellite TXT is only available from One NZ and is designed to work on your mobile phone. Starlink Broadband is a different service that uses a large Broadband dish located at your premises or on your vehicle to transmit to Starlink satellites.

Your use of One NZ Satellite TXT does not affect how we handle your personal information, which remains subject to our Privacy Policy.

To ensure all One NZ customers with an eligible plan and phone are able to access One NZ Satellite TXT, we may have to actively manage the capacity that the One NZ SpaceX satellite network can currently handle, and our Fair Use Policy will apply to your use of this service.

TXT/MMS in minutes on eligible phones and plans. Needs line of sight to the sky. For MMS, must be on the latest operating software, MMS not available between Android and Apple. Standard MMS charges apply. Terms, fair use and capacity control applies.