Omar Qaise, Founder and CEO of OQ Technology, argued that sovereign direct-to-device connectivity could enhance Europe’s resilience by connecting smartphones and IoT devices directly from space without the need for new hardware.
Speaking on the second day of Nexus Luxembourg 2026 at Luxexpo on 11 June, Qaise described OQ Technology as a “direct orbit satellite operator for direct-to-device connectivity” based in Luxembourg. “One of the important aspects we see recently is with regard to sovereignty and how this could be enhanced from space using direct-to-device connectivity,” he stated.
Qaise pointed to Luxembourg’s “head start” in telecommunications, referring to the creation of SES in the 1980s and the country’s role in satellite broadcasting and network connectivity. “Recently, what’s more important is really connectivity infrastructure, and how that could affect everyday life, government, defence and also enterprise operations,” he added.
Connectivity as invisible infrastructure
Qaise framed satellite connectivity as “invisible infrastructure” with rising relevance for public safety and enterprise operations on the ground. “The invisible infrastructure we are talking about is really about connectivity in space, but how this is also relevant to the operations on ground,” he remarked.
He warned that the gap was widening between dependency on external infrastructure and control over critical connectivity systems. “There’s a gap that is growing bigger and bigger between dependency on other infrastructures and having also your own infrastructure,” he cautioned.
OQ Technology’s proposal, Qaise explained, is a direct-to-device approach that links directly to smartphones and IoT devices. “What we propose here is really to have what we call the direct-to-device approach, which says let’s connect directly to your smartphones and IoT devices,” he stated.
[D2D] could enable always-on coverage of all in Europe, but also across the world, especially during crisis time
Always-on coverage during crises
Qaise suggested that D2D connectivity could provide “always-on coverage” across Europe and globally, particularly during cyber attacks, catastrophes and natural disasters. “This could enable always-on coverage of all in Europe, but also across the world, especially during crisis time, whether cyber attacks, catastrophes, natural disasters,” he stated.
He stressed that the model reduced friction because it did not require users to buy new hardware. “What’s more important is that there’s no need for any new hardware,” Qaise added. “It just connects to an existing ecosystem of devices, smart cars, smartphones.”
He maintained that this would allow a space layer to be integrated faster into terrestrial infrastructure. “That actually reduces the friction and integration and allows for faster integration of a space layer into an existing terrestrial infrastructure,” he remarked.
Defence and public safety
Qaise underlined the defence case for sovereign D2D connectivity, including rapid deployment and direct connectivity from space into existing devices. “We cannot also disregard how this is important for defence,” he noted, citing “rapid deployments by having connectivity from the sky directly into existing 5G chips, 5G devices”.
He stated that the network could provide coverage “everywhere in the air, space and land in Europe, and even beyond”.
Qaise cautioned that disaster-related outages in Europe could last up to 72 hours when cell towers are affected. “Outages in Europe during disaster could reach up to 72 hours,” he warned. “When cell towers are affected, you cannot then communicate with first responders, communities coordinate, and that leads to a lot of financial losses, but casualties also.” He positioned OQ Technology’s mission as building a network that is “99.9% present anywhere in Europe” directly to smartphones and IoT devices.
Our next upcoming satellite this year… you can WhatsApp, you can message, you can do voice calls
Europe-first satellite network
Qaise presented OQ Technology as building a Europe-first low Earth orbit satellite network native to 5G devices. “We are actually Europe first to build such a satellite network on low Earth orbit, which is native to 5G devices, whether smartphones,” he stated.
He noted that the company had already proved last year that it could connect smartphones directly from space using alerts. “We already proven last year that we could connect the smartphones directly from space using alerts,” he remarked.
Qaise added that the company’s next satellites would support two-way communications. “Our next upcoming satellite this year, which are bigger, they will be able to do two ways, so you can WhatsApp, you can message, you can do voice calls,” he stated. He contrasted the service with Starlink, which he described as still limited in geographic scope. “Today only that could be done by Starlink with a very limited service, which is now in the US, and across few other countries,” he observed. “It is not yet deployed across the world.”
Built and operated from Luxembourg
“We’ve launched 12 satellite missions. We have more missions that are coming up,” he stated. He underscored that the satellites were built in Europe and operated from Luxembourg through the company’s control centre. “Satellites are actually built in Europe and operated from Luxembourg, here from our satellite control centre,” he remarked.
Qaise described the direct-to-device market as sizeable, citing an estimated $25bn opportunity and noting that some estimates were higher. He added that OQ Technology already had clients, enterprise customers and active customers it was working with.
“The satellites, the recent ones we have built by us, actually, by OQ Technology. We used to buy them, now we build them,” he stated. The company has 55 people, with 90% based in Luxembourg and the rest in Greece, as well as business activity in the Middle East.
Qaise outlined plans to demonstrate two-way texting and voice messaging, drone connectivity, high-resolution video connectivity to drones and moving assets, smart cars and eventually a “full real-time constellation across the world”.
During the keynote, he demonstrated direct-to-device emergency alerts sent from space to smartphones.
