Sateliot, the first company to operate a low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellite constellation with 5G-IoT standard coverage, will launch the first-ever satellite under 3GPP 5G NB-IoT NTN Release 17 standard into space this April.
The use of this standard in satellite telecommunications follows a paradigm shift in the telecoms industry. Currently, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) with proprietary technology operated by legacy satellite carriers can only be connected with devices of the same company. This exclusivity raises costs and limits accessibility. Sateliot’s new technology allows all operators to seamlessly and affordably connect with its satellite network whenever they need coverage.
This means that any NB-IoT device will be able to connect effortlessly to satellite or cellular networks, allowing for the massive adoption of IoT, even in the most remote areas.
Sateliot is one of the companies with most inputs into the 3GPP standard, along with Qualcomm, Apple, Sony and Samsung, under the premise of democratizing satellite connectivity so “anything, anywhere” can be connected from only $1 per month.
Applications
Sateliot’s NTN uses standard technology, making it possible to unleash mass adoption of IoT, lowering costs and increasing efficiency in a wide range of industries.
It will save medium-sized shipping companies up to $1.4 million per year on container maintenance and repairs and billions in lost and damaged cargo thanks to worldwide connectivity after reaching an agreement with Sensefinity.
Livestock farmers from large, sparsely populated areas, like the inner countries of South Africa, Australia, Brazil and the U.S., will be able to monitor the position and health conditions of thousands of cattle with very low connection costs compared to competitors. South African company Streamline is a partner for this mission.
In partnership with GOSPACE LABS, Sateliot will grant 43 million Americans access to safe, potable water from private wells and rivers, preventing contamination and flooding.
As the future of 5G IoT is to reduce the digital gap between developed and developing countries, cellular and non-terrestrial networks are to be integrated seamlessly. Sateliot’s constellation will perform as cell towers in space, enabling connectivity to areas with infrastructure and geographical limitations.
Sateliot’s Allies: SpaceX, Endurosat, Alén Space and GateHouse
For the launch, Sateliot has been supported by four partners:
Design, manufacture and joint operations have been carried out by Endurosat, European satellite manufacturer and nanosatellite operator. The heart of the satellite was manufactured by Spanish company Alén Space, while software development was coded by Danish company GateHouse. The launch will be operated by SpaceX aboard a Falcon 9 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.
This is the first of five satellites to be launched this year, enhancing Sateliot’s constellation to deliver global 5G coverage for NB-Iot NTN. The forecast is to have 64 nanosatellites deployed in space by 2024 and 250 in 2025.
The company has worked in recent weeks on the integration of the payload, as well as on the logistics phase and exhaustive pre-launch testing. Later, following strict export and verification controls, it arrived at the SpaceX orbital launch platform.
The satellite has already been integrated into the ‘deployer’, the box where it will be inserted into the Falcon 9 rocket responsible for its ejection into space once it reaches the orbit where it will operate, located around 500 km from Earth. This deployer is, in turn, connected to a sequencer that will be in charge of activating the opening of the deployment system.
Sateliot has closed commercial agreements for €1 billion with global telecommunications operators like Telefónica, Lindsay, Anytrek, EMnify, Teltonika and others, achieving a 1.2-billion client portfolio.
Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot CEO and founder, commented, “The launch of the second nanosatellite is a leap into a brand-new technological and commercial dimension for Sateliot. We are closer than ever to becoming one of the three IoT constellations operating worldwide under the 5G standard.”
