UAE-based satellite company Space42 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia’s Telkom Satelit Indonesia (Telkomsat) to explore collaboration on direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity. The partnership will leverage Equatys, a joint venture launched by Space42 and Viasat in September, aimed at developing a 3GPP-compliant non-terrestrial network framework using more than 100 MHz of harmonized global mobile satellite services spectrum.
Under the agreement, Space42 and Telkomsat will assess opportunities across technical integration of terrestrial and satellite networks, regulatory and security compliance, joint research and development initiatives, and pilot programs and field trials. The collaboration will also examine future growth strategies within Telkomsat’s operating footprint as Equatys expands globally.
Telkomsat becomes the first telecom operator outside the UAE to partner with Equatys through Space42. Previously, Space42 signed a similar agreement with e& UAE, marking the initial commercial partnership for the D2D initiative. Space42 stated that the growing partner ecosystem is central to its goal of enabling universal connectivity.
Telkomsat CEO Lukman Hakim Abd Rauf highlighted the strategic importance of satellite connectivity in supporting national network resilience, particularly for remote and underserved areas. Telkomsat has also been reselling Starlink’s low Earth orbit broadband services in Indonesia since mid-2024, following Starlink’s official market launch.
The announcement comes as competition intensifies in the D2D satellite space, with Starlink advancing its own Direct to Cell service, already live in select markets, using existing terrestrial mobile spectrum rather than MSS spectrum.
