Space42 has selected Skylo to enable standards-based D2D connectivity over its Thuraya-4 geostationary satellite.
The artificial intelligence (AI)-powered SpaceTech company regards its deal with the UAE-based non-terrestrial network (NTN) service provider as “significant” because it adds yet another major satellite network into its ecosystem, alongside Viasat, Inmarsat and Echostar.
The primary result is said to be that it further boosts Skylo’s multi-orbit strategy, reducing dependency on any single satellite provider or spectrum environment. Yet Skylo also believes that strategically, the deal is “much more” than just a typical satellite partnership. That is to say, it believes operators have publicly discussed the importance of maintaining a multi-partner satellite strategy rather than relying on a single constellation or vertically integrated provider.
The typical rationale has been commercial leverage, spectrum flexibility and reduced risk. Yet this has created a problem whereby multi-partner strategies create massive integration complexity across different spectrum bands, orbits and network architectures.
To overcome this, Skylo said it will act as a standards-based orchestration layer between terrestrial mobile networks and multiple satellite partners. This will allow operators to integrate with Skylo, which handles interoperability across its growing ecosystem of GEO and future LEO partners.
Space42 and Skylo say they have already demonstrated what this means in practice: a bi-directional, real-time voice call completed over Thuraya-4; no modified SIM and no changes to existing operator core infrastructure. Technology integration between Skylo’s 3GPP-compliant NTN platform and Thuraya-4 is also complete, confirming the service is ready for commercial deployment.
Commercial deployment will begin across Thuraya-4’s coverage footprint, taking Skylo’s NTN presence across more than 37 countries. The companies are currently working to secure the requisite regulatory approvals and operator agreements across target markets, with deployment expected to follow on a rolling basis as clearances are obtained.
For carriers, the partnership will also deliver an integrated extension of their existing network architecture rather than an overlay or experimental add-on. Devices authenticate through the same SIM and identity framework, preserving the operator relationship while expanding coverage into rural, maritime and remote regions. For users, the deal is said to ensure staying connected in places that previously had no coverage at all.
“This partnership advances Space42’s strategy to become a global NTN leader, extending Thuraya-4’s reach through an interoperable connectivity layer that enables satellite and terrestrial networks to function as one unified system,” said Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Space Services at Space42.
“The impact is immediately meaningful for the people and communities who depend on reliable connectivity, delivering resilient, carrier-grade coverage to enterprises, governments and mobile operators across remote and underserved regions, on infrastructure built on 3GPP standards and designed for long-term scale.”
Skylo co-founder and CEO Parthsarathi Trivedi added: “The integration work is complete, and the service is ready to go live. Space42’s decision to select Skylo’s standards-based architecture for Thuraya-4 validates what we have built: a carrier-grade connectivity layer where satellites function as a natural extension of mobile networks, not a parallel system. This is what the Standardised Sky looks like in practice.”
