Abu Dhabi's Space42 says ordinary smartphones could stay online beyond mobile networks by 2029, including in deserts, mountains and at sea.
The UAE space technology firm is building direct-to-device satellite links that work with unmodified Android and iPhone handsets. Viktor Stoyanov, chief operating officer of Smart Solutions at Space42, told reporters at the company's Abu Dhabi headquarters that the handoff from terrestrial 4G and 5G to satellite should feel almost invisible.
"In the near future, you'll be able to connect to the satellites and receive connectivity even if you're deep in the ocean, deep in the desert, high in the mountains," he said, according to The National and Gulf News.
Equatys funding and 2029 services
Space42 and US satellite operator Viasat have committed 1 billion US dollars (around 3.67 billion dirhams) to Equatys, a joint venture for global direct-to-device coverage. Commercial services are expected from 2029.
The deal builds on an earlier partnership to cover communication black spots. Equatys is meant to fill gaps where conventional mobile networks fall short. That includes remote terrain and places where coverage is thin.
For residents who drive between emirates, camp in remote dunes or take boat trips, that timeline matters more than the satellite jargon. Dead zones are still a weekly reality on many routes outside the densest urban corridors.
Autonomous vehicles and maps
The same satellite and AI stack is also aimed at self-driving cars. Space42 and South Korea's A2Z plan to put a next-generation autonomous fleet on Abu Dhabi streets, backed by UAE satellite and mapping infrastructure.
High-precision maps would show roads, lanes and intersections in detail so vehicles are not relying only on onboard sensors. Stoyanov said continuous links to a control centre are essential so operators know where each car is and whether it is on schedule.
Maps can be updated as roads change. Space42 said more detail on the fleet rollout should follow before the end of the year.
Foresight radar constellation
Space42's Foresight constellation currently has five synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. Unlike optical spacecraft, SAR does not need sunlight. It can image through cloud, smoke and dust at resolutions of up to 25 centimetres.
Abdullah Sharif, senior manager of the Foresight Constellation, called that ability a "superpower" when optical satellites are blind. He showed SAR imagery of an explosion site where smoke hid the ground from optical cameras. Radar still showed damage below.
Three of the five Foresight satellites were assembled, integrated and tested in the UAE. Space42 also runs its own mission ground segment and builds analytics models in-country. Sharif framed that as sovereign capability: the UAE controlling its own "eye" in orbit.
Repeated passes plus AI are meant to turn Foresight into a change-detection system. The system compares the same place over time for infrastructure, terrain and disaster monitoring.
What changes for phone users
Nermeen Negm, vice president of communications at Space42, compared the intended experience to a phone switching from home Wi-Fi to a mobile network without the user noticing. By the end of the decade, she said, people may look back at mobile dead zones the way they now think about life before Wi-Fi or maps apps.
None of this is a consumer product you can buy in Dubai Mall tomorrow. The Equatys network is still being built, with services pitched for 2029. Until then, UAE residents still need roaming packs, offline maps and a realistic view of coverage on desert and mountain roads.
The credible near-term story is industrial: an Abu Dhabi firm pairing satellite links, radar imaging and AI, with a funded path to put ordinary phones on that network later this decade.