Space42 and Viasat have signed an agreement to formally establish Equatys, a shared space and ground infrastructure platform designed to expand mobile connectivity to areas where terrestrial networks have limited or no coverage. The agreement was signed at World Space Business Week in Paris on September 14, 2026, with the two companies committing up to $1 billion in initial equity funding once Equatys is formally established.
Under the funding arrangement, Space42 and Viasat will each contribute an initial $400 million, while Space42 is expected to provide an additional $200 million through a future funding round involving third-party investors. The companies have also agreed to accelerate development of Equatys’ initial satellite constellation, with Viasat expected to serve as the programme’s prime technology contractor following the venture’s formation.
Equatys is being developed in response to growing demand for satellite-enabled mobile connectivity, particularly as 3GPP Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standards make it possible for everyday smartphones, IoT devices and other connected equipment to communicate with satellites without requiring specialised hardware. The companies expect this development to significantly expand the Direct-to-Device (D2D) and advanced Mobile Satellite Services market over the coming decades.
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The platform will use a shared infrastructure or “Tower Company” model, allowing multiple mobile and satellite operators to access common satellite and ground infrastructure instead of building duplicate systems independently. This approach is intended to lower infrastructure costs, improve network availability and spectrum efficiency, and allow participating operators to retain their own customers, spectrum rights and commercial relationships.
Equatys is designed as a neutral and interoperable platform that can accommodate global, regional and national operators with appropriate MSS and/or Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) licences. Its initial constellation will form the first stage of a larger architecture planned to eventually scale to 2,800 satellites across 60 orbital planes and three altitude layers, allowing the network to expand as demand increases without requiring a fundamental redesign.
Karim Michel Sabbagh, Managing Director of Space42, said: “With the signing of this agreement, Equatys takes off. For the first time, the satellite industry is building infrastructure the way the mobile industry thinks: shared, interoperable, standards-based, and designed for billions of devices rather than millions of subscribers. Space42 and Viasat have each brought what the other could not, and together we have assembled a differentiated capabilities system unique to the space industry. We have always known it was within our reach, and today we are proving it.”
The platform is also expected to create an investment model that generates increasing economic value as more operators and users join the system. By spreading infrastructure costs across a larger customer base, Equatys aims to reduce the individual cost burden for participating operators while improving overall network performance and access to coordinated spectrum. Additional satellite operators and spectrum licensees will be able to use the system without necessarily having to invest in its infrastructure.
“We are creating a new infrastructure category for global D2D and advanced MSS connectivity, backed by unique spectrum assets, significant committed capital, and a business model proven to scale the mobile industry. Finalizing the formation of Equatys reflects our collective confidence in the strategic value and long-term financial merits of this venture to support a rapidly growing non-terrestrial market for emerging D2D NTN and advanced Mobile Satellite Services. By creating a system with state of the art technology, and mechanisms for neutral, shared, and trusted infrastructure access, Equatys will accelerate innovation in space-based connectivity, establish a scalable and interoperable architecture designed to support a full ecosystem of participants with choice and economies of scale, and deliver meaningful growth opportunities with attractive returns for investors and partners.” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat.
Space42 and Viasat bring significant assets and commercial reach to the venture. Space42 has coordinated L-band spectrum rights across more than 160 markets, while Viasat holds globally coordinated MSS spectrum rights in the L-band and S-band rights in Europe. Together, the companies have commercial agreements with more than 400 mobile operators worldwide and access to more than 100 MHz of globally coordinated MSS spectrum for advanced satellite and D2D services.
The companies said the formation of Equatys remains subject to customary closing requirements, including regulatory approvals and the completion of definitive agreements. If established as planned, the platform could become a significant shared infrastructure layer for satellite-enabled mobile connectivity, helping operators extend voice, messaging, data and IoT services into underserved areas while creating a scalable foundation for the rapidly developing global D2D market.
