New Shared Satellite Venture
Space42 and Viasat sign a billion-dollar agreement to establish Equatys shared satellite platform.
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Key Points
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Equatys is intended to provide an additional coverage layer not only in remote areas but also in coverage gaps within densely populated metropolitan areas.
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The venture will use a “Tower Company” model familiar from terrestrial mobile networks, allowing operators to share infrastructure while preserving their spectrum rights, customers and commercial relationships. The companies said this could reduce capital requirements, accelerate deployment and expand availability by avoiding duplicated infrastructure.
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Equatys follows earlier plans to create the venture: the project was first unveiled in March 2025 and the companies reiterated their intention to form it in September 2025 before completing technical and commercial studies for shared non-terrestrial-network infrastructure.
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The platform is designed to be open to additional spectrum licensees and satellite operators, potentially broadening participation beyond Space42, Viasat and their existing mobile-operator relationships.
Space42 and Viasat have signed a binding agreement to create Equatys, a shared satellite and ground infrastructure platform that will bring mobile coverage to remote areas and coverage gaps in cities Advanced Television. The two companies will initially invest $400 million each, with Space42 committing an additional $200 million in a future funding round, potentially bringing their total equity stake to $1 billion TechNode. Equatys will let mobile operators share satellite infrastructure while keeping their spectrum, customers and commercial relationships intact.
A Satellite Platform Built Like Tower Companies
Equatys follows a familiar business model used by terrestrial cell towers, where multiple mobile operators share the same physical infrastructure TechAfrica News. Instead of each operator building its own satellites and ground stations, they'll all use Equatys' shared system. This approach reduces costs, speeds up deployment and eliminates wasteful duplication. Operators keep full control of their spectrum rights and customer relationships.
The platform will serve as an additional coverage layer beyond traditional cell towers. It will deliver voice, text and data directly to smartphones and Internet of Things devices using 3GPP non-terrestrial network standards Riau One. This means coverage extends into truly remote regions while also filling dead zones in major cities where terrain or buildings block terrestrial signals.
A Massive Constellation Takes Shape
Equatys is designed to accommodate up to 2,800 low Earth orbit satellites spread across 60 orbital planes and three altitude layers Advanced Television. The scale of this deployment will be unprecedented in the shared infrastructure space. Viasat will serve as the primary technology contractor, bringing decades of satellite expertise to the project.
The venture already has relationships with more than 400 mobile operators globally and access to over 100 MHz of coordinated mobile satellite spectrum IndoVizka. This foundation positions Equatys to launch operations with substantial industry backing. The companies designed the platform to remain open to additional spectrum licensees and satellite operators beyond the founders.
A Two-Year Journey From Announcement to Agreement
Space42 and Viasat first unveiled Equatys in March 2025 TechAfrika News. The companies reaffirmed their commitment to the project in September 2025 after completing technical and commercial studies for shared non-terrestrial-network infrastructure. The binding agreement signed today marks the formal transition from planning to execution. Additional financing may come from outside equity and debt beyond the founders' $1 billion commitment.
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