One NZ customers will be able to have basic data service even in areas outside the telco's cellular coverage, starting this summer.
It won't be same as with the regular, fast 4G and 5G data service however, One NZ explained.
"We're working to bring apps to One NZ this summer," the telco's spokesperson Matt Flood said.
"The data service requires app developers to configure their applications to make use of the satellite network."
"We're working with local businesses on how to do this - but it's worth noting that any app, including social networks) can opt in by doing this development work," Flood added.
Without providing an exact figure, Flood said the network is low bandwidth, meaning the best apps will be simple, lightweight and focused on the essentials.
Flood said Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is now enabled on One NZ Satellite, for image and short video sharing, and voice notes, via the service.
Although One NZ was quick out of the gates with Starlink texting last year, Japan's KDDI has beaten the local telco and launched direct satellite data service for Apple iPhones.
KDDI supports Apple's Maps, Weather, Compass, Fitness+ and Messages apps, along with a number of its own and Japanese developed programs for iPhones. This includes location sharing through apps, and news sites, via Starlink Direct to Cell satellites.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given who the owner of SpaceX, the Starlink operator, is, the only social network supported is Elon Musk's Twitter-X.
KDDI said iPhone models 13 to the recently launched iPhone 17 are supported for the Starlink data service.
SpaceX recently spent US$17 billion to buy 50 megahertz (MHz) of radio-frequency spectrum in the 1915-1920 MHz range from operator EchoStar, that can be used for 4G and 5G cellular service.
This is how the spectrum will be used, SpaceX said:
Through the agreement with EchoStar, SpaceX will purchase EchoStar’s 50 MHz S-band spectrum in the US (bands known as AWS-4 and PCS-H) as well as its global MSS spectrum licenses.
Exclusive access to this spectrum, along with use of optimised 5G protocols designed for satellite connectivity, will enable a step change in performance for Starlink Direct to Cell.
The next generation of Starlink Direct to Cell satellites will be designed to fully utilise this spectrum.
Driven by custom SpaceX-designed silicon and phased array antennas, the satellites will support thousands of spatial beams and higher bandwidth capability, enabling around 20x the throughput capability as compared to a first-generation satellite.
With the world’s most advanced phased arrays, the wider bandwidth operations enabled by this spectrum purchase, and optimised 5G protocols, the system will support an overall capacity increase of more than 100x the first generation Starlink Direct to Cell system.
In most environments, this will enable full 5G cellular connectivity with a comparable experience to current terrestrial LTE service, which will be used in partnership with Mobile Network Operators to augment high capacity terrestrial 5G networks.
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