Viasat direct-to-device plans have lift-off after Inmarsat merger

Viasat’s president, Guru Gowrappan, pointed to direct-to-device (D2D), space-to-space and multi-orbit communications as examples of prominent emerging technologies in the satellite industry during the opening of the company’s new international headquarters in London.

While this wave of innovation in the satellite communications sector represents a host of new opportunities, there are also challenges, not least in the form of environmental problems.

According to the company, the opening of the new headquarters marks an integration milestone following the acquisition of Inmarsat – a deal that was announced in 2021 and completed in 2023.

The new site hosts the company’s UK network operations center, as well as a new satellite control center, which provides satellite, network and cybersecurity capabilities to customers worldwide. The old center still acts as a backup facility but will be closed later this year. The new headquarters also hosts an innovation lab, where the company explores future applications of the technology. 

When it comes to D2D, Viasat has partnered with Skylo, a startup that works with several different providers to transmit narrowband (NB) IoT signals via satellite. This allows it to connect industrial IoT devices that would otherwise be out of reach. Moreover, the addition of satellite communications to chips in mobile handsets means new smartphones support the solution.

During a press roundtable, Yasrine Ibnyahya, senior director for advanced concepts and technologies at Inmarsat, noted that “the beauty is that it requires zero new investments on our end when it comes to satellites or infrastructure,” saying that the company can rely on geostationary satellites already deployed for its core applications like maritime security, mobility and humanitarian use cases.

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