• Viasat and Space42 are forming a joint venture called Equatys
• It will adopt a “towerco model” to offer wholesale direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity capacity to third-party service providers

Giant geostationary satellite firm Viasat is entering the direct-to-device (D2D), satellite-to-smartphone sector by forming a joint venture with United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based spacetech firm Space42 that will adopt a “towerco infrastructure model” to offer wholesale D2D connectivity around the world to third-party service providers. 

News of the joint venture, dubbed Equatys, comes six months after the companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to “explore ecosystem partnership options for developing a 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) initiative”. 

Space42 was formed in October 2024 when satellite company Yahsat and AI developer Bayanat merged. At that time, the Space42 team outlined their D2D aspirations and hinted at plans to launch and run a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation that could provision satellite broadband and D2D services. 

But there’s no specific reference to the development of a LEO constellation in Monday’s announcement about the formation of Equatys. In fact, the announcement is lacking in any firm commitments or financial details, noting only that the new company plans to offer commercial services within three years. 

The partners note that “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 [internet of things] devices, extending service to billions of people and devices worldwide,” and that the joint venture is “anticipated to be capable of supporting well over 100 MHz of harmonised MSS [mobile satellite service] spectrum already allocated across more than 160 markets”.

And it managed to include the word du jour in its announcement. “Equatys will provide nations with secure, standards-based infrastructure that work with their existing systems and offer sovereign deployment options,” stated the partners as they hoisted their sovereign flag. 

Will Equatys offer too little too late? Its pre-prepared executive statements suggest a blinkered view of current LEO and D2D developments. 

In a joint comment, Karim Sabbagh, managing director of Space42 and Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Space Services at Space 42, stated: “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.”  

But by 2028, SpaceX’s Starlink is set to be a global satellite communications services behemoth – it already has D2D services up and running – while Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST Spacemobile and multiple others will have satellites and services established – see Economics of D2D satellite lifecycles and replacement strategies. 

If Viasat and Space42 want Equatys to be considered as a serious and viable contender in the D2D sector, they’ll need more than vague plans and bullish swagger.

To keep up with the latest D2D developments, check out TelecomTV’s dedicated satellite news page. 

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV