UAE-based Space42, US satellite operator Viasat and Canada’s Terrestar Solutions have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an open, standards-based interoperability framework. The agreement will connect Terrestar’s planned Canadian low-Earth-orbit constellation, CaStar, with Equatys, the shared satellite platform founded by Space42 and Viasat.
The MoU was signed in Ottawa on October 28 during Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Canada. It marks the first application of Equatys’ ‘sovereign shell’ model, which combines a global commercial system with nationally controlled satellite constellations.
Under the proposed framework, each operator will retain ownership and control of its own space and ground assets, licenses and customer relationships. The systems will interact through agreed, vendor-neutral interfaces rather than proprietary point-to-point integrations.
Terrestar will operate CaStar as a sovereign Canadian system. Its Canadian gateways and ground network will keep domestic data within Canadian jurisdiction, while the constellation interworks with Equatys at a global scale.
The partners expect the model to reduce capital and operating costs, improve use of power, beams and gateway capacity, and speed the adoption of satellite services. The framework will also remain open to additional satellite operators, mobile network operators and service providers.
The collaboration targets direct-to-device (D2D) services and advanced mobile-satellite services (MSS). These technologies aim to connect standard smartphones and IoT devices through satellites, extending coverage beyond terrestrial mobile networks.
Space42 managing director Karim Michel Sabbagh said the agreement shows how sovereign satellite systems and shared global infrastructure can work together. Viasat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg said the open architecture could help drive mass adoption in the D2D and next-generation MSS market.
The partnership signals a shift away from closed, single-operator satellite systems. It also gives the UAE, the US and Canada a role in shaping shared infrastructure for the next generation of global connectivity
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