Space42 and Viasat sign binding deal for Equatys
What happened
Space42 and Viasat signed a binding agreement on September 14 to formally co-found Equatys, a joint venture for direct-to-device and mobile satellite service on shared space and ground infrastructure. Each company will commit $400m of initial equity, with Space42 adding $200m later, for up to $1bn combined. The venture plans up to 2,800 satellites across 60 orbital planes, combining the companies' L-band and S-band rights into more than 100 MHz of coordinated spectrum. Closing still needs regulatory approval and naming Viasat as prime contractor, a role reports said in August the venture could not fill.
Read-across for SES
Equatys becomes the strongest-funded rival yet to SES's own Elveo bet on the 2 GHz spectrum SES is fighting to keep. It also resolves the prime-contractor question that had stalled the venture since August. A functioning Equatys strengthens the argument, already made by Amazon-aligned SpaceConnect in Brussels, that direct-to-device spectrum supply is abundant and SES does not need a dedicated allocation.
As the brief filed it
[AGE: 10h] Space42 and Viasat signed a binding agreement to formally launch Equatys, committing up to $1bn combined equity to a 2,800-satellite direct-to-device network. It follows months of reported struggle to secure a prime contractor.