UAE company pioneers affordable satellite phone coverage
Paris has been buzzing with high-profile visits to World Space Business Week, where hundreds of executives are lining up to launch services. For Karim Sabbagh, managing director of space technology company Space42, it was an opportunity to pitch a project intended to give the UAE a central role in reshaping communications on Earth using infrastructure in space. The platform, Equatys, aims to…
UAE-based Space42 is pioneering a new satellite phone service called Equatys that aims to provide affordable global connectivity. The platform plans to deploy thousands of satellites over several years, allowing users to connect directly to satellites without additional hardware. This "direct-to-device" approach could expand the market from less than 10 million users to billions.
Space42 has secured a $1 billion investment from Viasat to help launch Equatys, which is set to begin operations in 2029. The service will compete with other satellite communication providers such as Starlink, Amazon's Globalstar, and Elveo Mobile. Viasat will act as the prime contractor for the Equatys satellites. The shared infrastructure model is expected to lower costs and improve performance, providing a significant advantage in the market.
This initiative aligns with the UAE's growing space program and helps ensure resilience against geopolitical disruptions.
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