UAE-based satellite firm Space42 announced that its mobile satellite services (MSS) subsidiary Thuraya is collaborating with Danish software company Gatehouse Satcom to demonstrate the commercial viability of Thuraya’s upcoming direct-to-device (D2D) satellite IoT service.
Thuraya and Gatehouse said they have demonstrated the ability of Space42’s L-band geostationary satellites to connect directly with smartphones and NB-IoT modules compliant with 3GPP non-terrestrial network (NTN) standards under Release 17.
Space42 said the demo sets the foundation for the launch of Thuraya Direct, a new D2D messaging and IoT service slated for commercial deployment in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Through close engagement with telecom providers, we are addressing immediate market requirements and proving the viability of this technology while setting the stage for enhanced global commercialization of D2D through our future global constellation,” said Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services at Space42 in a statement.
“Running 5G NB-IoT over GEO is no small feat, but our software is built for this – adaptable across constellations, compliant with global standards, and ready to support the next wave of NTN innovation,” added Jesper Noer, commercial VP at Gatehouse Satcom.
Space42 also said the demo shows that Thuraya Direct can be delivered through globally standardized infrastructure, open to any telecoms or OEM partner able to interoperate with the system.
In March 2025, Space42 and Viasat teamed up to explore ways to develop a 5G NTN ecosystem for direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services using L-band, S-band and terrestrial spectrum to enable global roaming among regional network operators.
