The European Space Agency (ESA) and Viasat announced an agreement to work together towards a public-private partnership for direct-to-device project. As part of ESA’s direct-to-device initiative, the partnership project was signed by Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, and Mark Dankberg, Viasat’s CEO, on 27 January 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
direct-to-device services offer direct satellite connection to consumer smartphones, working in tandem with both terrestrial and satellite networks to provide seamless connectivity. Direct-to-device also provides tremendous opportunities for mobility sectors such as automotive, aeronautical and maritime.
Direct-to-device has gained serious momentum in satellite communications, becoming a mainstream and daily asset for businesses, governments and institutions – in particular, using satellites to send mass SMS messages during extreme weather events. To capitalise on such benefits, ESA is working with its Member States to federate European and Canadian satellite communications and terrestrial stakeholders through on-ground and in-orbit demonstration and validation activities. This is with the view to support these actors in developing innovative and world-leading technologies for European competitive solutions based on interoperable and open standards, as well as ensuring the sustainable use of Earth orbit.
Viasat have already demonstrated their D2D technologies, recently showcasing it in the United Arab Emirates. The demonstration took place over their L-Band satellites, which were added to their service portfolio following their acquisition of Inmarsat in 2023. The technology follows the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) release 17 standards, which provides the opportunity for future technologies to be open, interoperable and scalable with a wide range of partners.
"By developing direct-to-device technologies, we are positioning Europe to capitalise and gain share in a highly competitive market. Through the preparation of a partnership with Viasat, ESA is paving the way for our Member States to have access to industry-leading autonomous, seamless and resilient connectivity solutions that drive our technological competitiveness on the global stage,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General.
"This collaborative initiative with Viasat represents a strategic approach to advance direct-to-device services, further strengthening our cooperation in future-facing technologies and programmes. By working closely with industry partners, we are laying the groundwork to explore and develop cutting-edge technologies,” said Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications.
“We are fully committed to the development of direct-to-device space capabilities that are based on 3GPP and other relevant open standards, combining existing GEO assets with a new LEO satellite constellation that meets the needs of users in Europe and across the world,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat. “We will be deploying our expertise alongside a host of European partner companies in this important work. We believe that this is a further step toward ensuring that space remains open and accessible to all.”
