California-based satellite operator Viasat, in an analyst briefing which followed its quarterly and full-year results, said that its expected Equatys joint-venture with Abu Dhabi’s Spae42 to be imminent.

A formal announcement confirming the venture had been expected during May but was pending while the manufacturer of the satellite fleet was determined and the extent of their involvement in the joint-venture.

CEO Mark Dankberg told analysts that while Viasat itself would build the fleet’s payloads, the satellite ‘bus’ would be built by a third party. That decision and a similar determination as to who would launch the satellites needed to be in place soon in order to meet the planned 2029 service date.

Equatys is planning a 2,800 constellation of low Earth orbiting satellites.

“Viasat is providing the lead for network payload technology, the beam-forming, and we are open to partners for launch, [satellite] buses, and could include low-cost manufacturers associated with given geographic regions and would be preferred by regional spectrum holders or service providers,” Dankberg said.

He added that Viasat had a strong case to make to the European Commission to win a portion of the upcoming S-band spectrum. Viasat , through its now wholly-owned Inmarsat business, already has access to S-band over Europe, but the spectrum comes up for auction in 2027. Dankberg told analysts that Viasat would “absolutely” be looking to extend its existing rights to the frequencies which expire in May 2027.

Inmarsat operates the important European Aviation Network (EAN) service for aircraft and in particular air-to-ground connectivity for Europe’s short-haul airlines.

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Categories: Articles, Business, Joint Venture

Tags: equatys, Inmarsat, mark dankberg, Viasat