UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company Space42 and Viasat have announced plans to establish Equatys, a jointly held venture aimed at enabling global Direct-to-Device (D2D) services. The initiative will also evolve existing and planned Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) into a 5G-ready network environment.
Equatys is expected to unite satellite and terrestrial networks leveraging a 3GPP Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Release compliant platform accessible to standard smartphones and IoT devices, extending service to billions of people and devices worldwide. Anticipated to be capable of supporting well over 100 MHz of harmonised MSS spectrum already allocated across more than 160 markets, the venture is expected to establish a foundation for reliable global communications with commercial rollout targeted within three years.
Karim Sabbagh, Managing Director, Space42, and Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Space Services, Space 42, co-said: “Equatys will achieve what the satellite industry has pursued for decades: combining the scale of terrestrial networks with the efficiency of space. The promise of universal connectivity is now becoming a reality. Backed by global spectrum, proven technology, and strong partners, Equatys represents infrastructure built to power societies and transform economies worldwide.”
Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO, Viasat, commented: “Equatys will uniquely make possible a shared multi-orbit network of scale with standards-based open architecture to address the significant D2D and next-generation MSS market opportunity. By leveraging high performance transparent satellite architectures and shared infrastructure, the network will deliver cost efficient capacity and use 5G New Radio standards evolving the existing deployed MSS services including, for example, the safety of air, land and sea.”
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