On August 6, 2026, Mark Dankberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Viasat Inc., informed financial analysts during the company’s quarter-two earnings presentation that Equatys—the Direct-to-Device (D2D) joint venture formed with UAE-based Space42—is moving forward into its satellite procurement phase.
Dankberg highlighted that the venture’s upcoming operational benchmark will center on committing capital for the initial satellite constellation, which serves as the primary catalyst for expanding capacity across non-terrestrial network (NTN) markets.
“Space TowerCo” Model and Shared Spectrum Architecture
First announced in September 2025, Equatys was established as an independent, neutral-host infrastructure platform designed to operate as a space-based tower company (“Space TowerCo”). The model enables multiple mobile network operators (MNOs) to share low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite capacity without erecting individual, capital-intensive satellite constellations.
The joint venture aggregates over 100 MHz of harmonized L-band and S-band Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum across more than 160 international markets. By aligning with 3GPP Release 17 and Release 18 standards, the infrastructure provides direct connectivity to unmodified 5G smartphones, cellular IoT hardware, and automotive telematics systems.
EQUATYS SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECTURE
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EQUATYS PLATFORM │
│ (2,800 LEO Satellites | Shared Spectrum >100 MHz) │
└──────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
│ Neutral Wholesale Network
┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
Space42 (UAE) Viasat (Global) Partner MNOs
(Core Strategic) (Core Strategic) (Third-Party)
Constellation Specifications and Manufacturing Partners
As reported on March 25, 2026, the planned Equatys orbital architecture calls for up to 2,800 satellites distributed across 60 orbital planes in three distinct altitude layers. Space42 allocated $600 million in initial capital expenditure to seed the constellation build-out across the 2026–2027 timeframe.
Rocket Lab has emerged as a prime candidate for the satellite bus manufacturing contract, supported by its expanding satellite production facilities and recent capital raises aimed at scaling prime contractor operations.
“In terms of Equatys, our intent with the next major announcement would be the funding of the initial satellite constellation,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat. “That’s really the catalyst for the next round of disclosures, [and] how much new capacity will come online… What we’re focused on is the details of a satellite constellation procurement for Equatys and then what that means for each of the users of the Equatys constellation, with us and Space42 being the two largest and initial users of it. In terms of the amount of increase in capacity, boy, that’s going to be orders of magnitude.”
Procurement Timeline and Wholesale Market Role
Viasat and Space42 are finalizing vendor selections for spacecraft buses, transparent payload payloads, and ground segment equipment to support phased orbital deployments. Equatys plans to function as a wholesale capacity supplier, letting licensed regional MNOs and government entities leverage shared space assets to retain sovereign data control while reducing capital risk.
The upcoming procurement contracts will establish the launch schedule, spacecraft design specifications, and initial deployment milestones as Viasat and Space42 move to activate global 3GPP-aligned D2D services.
