Abu Dhabi- Mubasher: Space42 and Viasat, a global leader in satellite and secure communications, plan to form a joint venture (JV) to provide direct-to-device (D2D) services and upgrade mobile satellite services (MSS) to 5G.
The venture, known as Equatys, will combine satellite and terrestrial networks on a 3GPP non-terrestrial platform, according to a bourse filing.
Meanwhile, It will extend service to standard smartphones and IoT devices.
A commercial rollout is targeted within three years, supported by over 100 MHz of MSS spectrum allocated across more than 160 markets.
Equatys will operate as a neutral ‘space tower’ company under a shared multi-tenant model, cutting infrastructure costs and complementing terrestrial networks.
The design will also allow governments to maintain data sovereignty and promote local space industry participation.
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.”
“Backed by global spectrum, proven technology, and strong partners, Equatys represents infrastructure built to power societies and transform economies worldwide," they added.
Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat, mentioned: “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.”
