Space42 plans 2029 launch of satellite phone service to end mobile dead zones

Abu Dhabi- The Abu Dhabi based space technology company Space42 is developing a direct-to-device satellite connectivity that works with ordinary, unmodified smartphones under the formally established Equatys, a dedicated company to deploying this technology.

“Whether it's Android, iPhone, in the near future, you'll be able to connect to the satellites and receive connectivity,” says Victor Stoyanov, the Chief Operating Officer of Smart Solutions at Space42, “even if you're deep in the ocean, deep in the desert, high in the mountains, whatever conventional 4G, 5G networks fall short.

The technology is believed to revolutionize connectivity, with security and resilience when conventional networks fail, enabling an easy switch between local mobile networks and satellite coverage without users experiencing a transition, even in remote or dead-zone areas

The same satellite and AI capabilities are also being brought together to support another growing area in the UAE: autonomous mobility, playing a key role in enabling self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads.

Space42 and A2Z, South Korea’s leading autonomous mobility company, aim to have a next‑generation autonomous vehicle fleet operating on Abu Dhabi’s streets, underpinned by UAE satellite and mapping infrastructure.

The high-precision maps will give self-driving vehicles a detailed view of roads, lanes, intersections and surrounding areas, helping self-driving cars navigate safely without relying only on their onboard sensors.

“Before the end of the year, we were seeking to go and deploy our next-generation fleet on the streets. You'll be you'll be seeing and hear more about this,” Stoyanov said.

He added that, “Autonomous mobility relies on continuous communications with the control centre to know what's happening with the car, to know is it in the right place in the right time.”

The maps can also be regularly updated as roads and infrastructure change, ensuring the vehicles have the latest information as the fleet takes to the streets.

Space42 also touched over the benefits of Foresight’s SAR constellation, emphasising its power, “as the ability to see things when normal seeing is fully blind”, says Abdullah Sharif, Senior Manager, Foresight Constellation, Space42.

It can monitor disaster sites when optical satellites are blind, assess damage through smoke after explosions, and even track changes in volcanoes, infrastructure, and terrain even when visibility is zero.

He called it “a system or a technology that's been for a very long time a dream for humanity and people (sic),” calling it a ‘superpower’ in the form of real, operational technology.