Equatys wants 2,800 new satellites
March 9, 2026
Two satellite operators, Viasat of California and Space42 of Abu Dhabi, are involved in a joint-venture, Equatys. The pair want to build and launch up to a 2,800 satellite mega-constellation to connect “billions” of people.
The Equatys joint venture was announced in September 2025, but details have emerged following the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg, talking to journalists from Payload, said that the proposed constellation would use L- and S-band Mobile Satellite Services spectrum.
“Equatys is establishing an industry-first tower company model that can deliver the lowest unit cost of satellite capacity, while preserving each partner’s spectrum rights and sovereign interests. What that means for people all over the world is ubiquitous, affordable, scalable mobility,” Dankberg told Payload. “The idea is that if we share the infrastructure, then the overall costs can go down.”
Viasat already owns Inmarsat’s satellite assets while Space42 has its own fleet of Thuraya and Al-Yah satellites.
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