Space42, Viasat and Terrestar sign MoU on satellite direct-to-device

Space42, Viasat and Canadian satellite operator Terrestar Solutions have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore connecting their satellite networks, in a three-way push to improve global direct-to-device (D2D) services.

The MoU, announced by the three companies, will examine how Terrestar's planned Canadian low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, CaStar, could work with Equatys — the global satellite platform being developed by Space42 and Viasat. In plain terms, two platform builders have invited a national operator to test whether its future satellites can plug into a shared global system.

The stated ambition is modest on paper and large in implication. The partners want to make it easier for different satellite networks to work together while each operator keeps control of its own infrastructure. They also aim to improve global satellite coverage, cut costs and give mobile operators more ways to deliver connectivity to ordinary handsets.

What does the deal actually cover?

Under the plans, the networks would share resources and coordinate coverage using common industry standards. The framework is designed so more satellite operators and mobile providers can join later, which suggests the partners see this MoU as the first brick in a wider wall rather than a closed club.

Crucially, the companies plan to build on existing industry standards, including 3GPP and GSMA guidelines. That choice matters. It means the networks would interoperate without relying on technology tied to individual suppliers — a pointed contrast with the vertically integrated approach that dominates much of today's satellite-to-phone market.

The regulatory and standards context is worth a sentence. Direct-to-device has become one of the more contested corners of the satellite industry, with operators racing to partner with mobile carriers and regulators still working out spectrum rules for space-based mobile coverage. An open, standards-based architecture is the industry's traditional answer to lock-in. Whether it wins against proprietary mega-constellations is an open question.

Sovereignty with a shared backbone

Space42 Managing Director Karim Michel Sabbagh framed the deal as a balance between national control and global reach. "This MoU demonstrates how sovereign satellite systems and shared global infrastructure can work together to deliver D2D services globally," he said.

"Terrestar maintains its position as Canada's independent MSS operator while exploring how to participate in a broader ecosystem. We are introducing a model where national capabilities and international collaboration reinforce rather than compete with one another."

That last line is the pitch in miniature. Space42 is selling a model, not just a platform.

Viasat's open-architecture argument

Viasat Chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg pushed the interoperability case harder. "By advancing a global, standards-based open architecture with an interoperability framework via a shared infrastructure model, we are continuing to expand an ecosystem that will be uniquely positioned to drive mass adoption within the significant D2D and next-generation MSS market," he said.

He added that the collaboration with Terrestar "underscores Equatys' innovative approach to offer a foundation for choice and interoperability and provide compelling economic benefits from geographic and spectral efficiencies to participating global, regional, and national space operators." Equatys, he said, is committed to working across the global space industry as well as with MNOs, OEMs, chipset vendors, regulators and standards bodies.

Strip out the adjectives and the claim is straightforward: shared infrastructure should be cheaper per operator than each building its own global coverage.

Canada's contribution: CaStar

Terrestar President and CEO Jacques Leduc offered the bluntest read of the three. "The future of mobile satellite connectivity won't be built by countries or constellations acting alone," he said. "It will be built through open standards-based networks that combine national sovereignty with global reach, positioning us to compete at scale."

He described CaStar as "Canada's contribution to that future: Canadian-controlled, globally connected, and built to work with other mid-power countries like Canada." Terrestar's ambition, he said, is to "seamlessly integrate satellite and terrestrial mobile networks, bringing connectivity to everyday devices" — with the stated goal of making mobile satellite connectivity a reality for every Canadian, wherever they live, work or travel.

Leduc closed with a phrase that accurately sizes the announcement: "This MoU is just the beginning."

Commercial reality check

For now, this is an agreement to explore, not a contract to build. No launch dates, constellation sizes or financial commitments appear in the announcement. What exists is a framework proposal — shared resources, common standards, sovereign control — plus three CEOs arguing that federation beats going it alone in direct-to-device.

The next milestones to watch are concrete ones: whether CaStar moves from plan to procurement, whether Equatys signs additional national operators, and whether the 3GPP and GSMA-based interoperability framework survives contact with real hardware. Leduc's "just the beginning" line will either age well or become the epitaph. The partners say more satellite operators and mobile providers can join the network in the future, and on that timeline the MoU's real test begins.