UAE space technology company Space42 and California firm Viasat have agreed to establish a satellite communications platform, committing $1 billion in equity as part of the venture.
The Equatys platform aims to connect smartphones and other devices directly to low-Earth orbit satellites, enabling operators to offer services in areas with no mobile coverage.
Space42 managing director Karim Sabbagh told The National in Paris that services were expected to be available from 2029. "The whole idea is that Equatys will be a perfect complement to terrestrial technologies and a perfect complement to the business model of mobile network operator," he said.
"What you and I are used to in our daily life in terms of using our phones for voice communications or data communications, we should be able to have the same experience where terrestrial networks are not covering because they cannot physically or because they are congested."
The commitment to inject $1 billion puts Equatys on a strong footing from day one, he added.
Seamless connection
Work on satellite internet technology started a year ago and has since moved into a "fast development and manufacturing mode", Mr Sabbagh said. "We bring to bear from day one 400 relationships with mobile network operators across the world.
"Space 42, on its own, has relationships in 160 countries that give us the ability to have conversations and a meeting of the minds with mobile network operators.
"Equatys can be seamlessly integrated into the service of these mobile network operators."
