Stay in touch for free in the Outback

There are many ways to stay connected while travelling in remote regions, including carrying a two-way radio or satellite phone, a Starlink internet or other sat dish, or in the case of an emergency, an EPIRB or PLB device.

However, they often come at a significant cost (including upfront and ongoing fees), and you might not always have the device close to hand when you need it.

But now there's a new user-friendly, no extra-cost way to stay in touch when travelling in remote regions, with telco giant Telstra launching what it's calling Australia’s first satellite to mobile text messaging product.

Tapping into SpaceX’s Starlink Direct to Cell service, the new Telstra Satellite Messaging is available free to eligible Telstra customers and allows text messages to be sent to standard Australian and international numbers when out of range of a mobile network.

"As long as you’re outdoors with a direct line of sight to the sky, your mobile will automatically seek a satellite connection and once connected, you’ll be able to send a text message to friends and family," the telco explained.

Telstra said the release of its new service followed "months of testing and many trials with our engineers and employees who have been using the technology right across Australia, including in some of our most remote locations".

So what's the catch? It's only available to Telstra consumer and small business customers on month-to-month mobile plans, and on late-model devices updated with the latest software, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 series family and iPhone 13-16 (all models).

It's limited to text messaging only -- so you won't be able to make voice calls, for example -- and texts could take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the location.

While it covers most non-network areas of mainland Australia and Tasmania, some areas are excluded including the Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia and remote offshore territories and islands of Australia.

Telstra said it plans to roll Satellite Messaging out to other mobile devices in the future, and also expects it to be expanded to include calls and sending of data.

However, it warns it's not a replacement for an emergency service "especially as you cannot text Australian emergency responders (e.g. Triple Zero) directly... So, if you’re planning on visiting remote regions, it is always recommended to plan ahead and take extra precautions in the case of an emergency".