Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators Lynk Global and Omnispace have today (August 17) finalized their merger deal.

As part of the merger, the two companies have announced the launch of Elveo Mobile, which will provide next-generation connectivity directly from satellites to mobile phones, devices and machines everywhere on Earth in multiple frequency bands.

The merger was first announced back in October of last year.

As part of the merger, Elveo's headquarters and technology center will be in the Washington DC metro area, with operations across the world.

Elveo combines two D2D operators with access to spectrum rights across multiple bands and patented multi-band satellite technology.

The newly combined entity will leverage Omnispace’s 60MHz of globally coordinated S-band spectrum, which includes a global S-band footprint, as part of its D2D push.

“We’re delivering a fundamental shift in communications by connecting ‘elevated intelligence’ directly from our network in space to mobile devices around the world,” said Ramu Potarazu, chief executive officer, Elveo. “The Elveo network will be able to process and adapt on orbit, enabling global interconnectivity, voice and data services, and compute power to mobile users.”

Potarazu was previously CEO of Lynk.

According to Elveo, its service is compatible with the 8 billion mobile phones and devices people already own.

The company notes that its network will also be optimized for 5G, plus non-terrestrial networks (NTN), with its own portfolio of spectrum, to enable enhanced services for next-generation devices and address critical coverage gaps for consumer, automotive, IoT, and government sectors.

Cell-tower-in-space firm Lynk currently has five small satellites in LEO. Founded in 2017, Lynk has raised more than $200 million to date and counts SES as an investor. The company recently backed off from plans to go public via a SPAC merger with Slam Corp.

The company has signed commercial agreements with more than 50 MNOs covering more than 50 countries, including Spark in New Zealand, Vodafone Ghana, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, Telecel’s Centrafrique in the Central African Republic, Rogers in Canada, TPG in Australia, Telikom in Papua New Guinea, and the US government.

Following the announcement, satellite operator SES separately confirmed it has expanded its strategic investment and partnership with Elveo Mobile.

"SES will support Elveo in accelerating its delivery of powerful, cost-effective global D2D services. SES and Elveo will also work together on global spectrum initiatives that will enable Elveo to unlock delivery of D2D solutions," said the company.

Update: It had been stated when the merger was first announced that former Omnispace CEO Ram Viswanathan would serve as the chief strategy officer of Elveo. Elveo confirmed to DCD that Viswanathan is no longer involved in the new entity.