One NZ Satellite TXT is a new service that uses coverage outside of traditional cell-tower coverage. The service is for TXT only and has launched on a limited number of eligible phones with an eligible plan . It requires clear line of sight to the sky. Service limitations, network performance, phone and plan eligibility will improve over time.

In many cases, TXT messages will be sent instantly but some may also take minutes to send and receive. If your TXT fails to send, then try again. As the service matures and more satellites are launched, we expect the delivery times of TXT messages to improve.

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 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 Satellite service is limited to a subset of phones that are eligible that we have thoroughly tested.
We are working closely with leading phone manufacturers to roll-out more models over time.

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 here with an eligible phone, you will be able to use One NZ Satellite TXT at no extra charge.

• 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 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, it is recommended that you 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 you are using One NZ Satellite TXT for the first time ever, or if you haven't been outside of traditional cell tower coverage for a while it may take up to 30 minutes to connect to the One NZ Satellite network - 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 when the banner will disappear but don't worry; the next satellite should come within minutes and the banner will reappear.

4. Send your TXT 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 messages will be sent and received instantly but some may also take minutes to send and receive. Performance will improve over time as more satellites are launched.

You can check whether your TXT has been sent by looking for the time stamp and it may take some time to send. If your TXT 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 and RCS are also supported if you have this activated on your phone already. Android users with RCS can send multimedia messages to another Android phone when on the One NZ Satellite network.

If you are expecting to receive a TXT while you are out of traditional cell-tower coverage, make sure your phone has a clear line of sight to the sky. Any TXTs 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 is sent or received and how long it takes.

At launch One NZ Satellite TXT will only work for sending and receiving TXT 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 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 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 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.

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 emergency response service is limited to basic texting (SMS) only, and 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.

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 iPhone 13 or later 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 or later and are eligible for One NZ Satellite TXT service you should be able to send and receive iMessages.

If you have RCS activated on your phone already you should be able to send and receive TXT and multi-media messages such as photos and short videos to another Android phone using RCS messages. . If you are using RCS to send a TXT and it fails, please try resending your TXT again as an SMS.

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 a few emojis in your TXT. Android users can also send multimedia messages via RCS to another Android phone. We are working to bring you multi-media messages with iMessage soon.

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 is available for a limited time on active Prepay plans with eligible phones at no extra charge. You can check out the eligible phones here.

To send a TXT 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 rates. If you have no TXT entitlements or credit left, you wont be able to send a TXT 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.

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 in minutes on eligible phones and plans. TXT only and needs line of sight to sky. Terms, fair use and capacity control applies.