Spanish low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellite constellation operator Sateliot has applied to the FCC to expand its services in the United States.
Sateliot’s constellation uses the 5G IoT standard and provides coverage extension to mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) through standard roaming agreements.
American IoT solution providers will no longer need specific and expensive satellite devices but can instead connect to satellites with their current SIM cards and NB-IoT devices supporting Release 17 NTN, and switch seamlessly between terrestrial and satellite connectivity.
Sateliot is the first LEO satellite operator to leverage the 3GPP Release-17 Standard on its own constellation, allowing it to service massive IoT applications with a low-density constellation and few ground stations thanks to its novel implementation that allows 5G IoT networks to work in Store&Forward.
The operator’s LEO satellites have global coverage and are capable of serving delay-tolerant use cases such as agriculture or smart metering, which account for around 60 percent of the total IoT market.
Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot, commented:
“Our satellites serve as cellular towers from space. We connect commercial NB-IoT devices directly from the satellite with the best performance and competitive price options for the final users.
Lower prices and better connectivity mean a productivity boost for several industries, such as logistics, tracking, energy, or oil and gas, which will now be able to connect to IoT regardless of where in the world they operate.
This is a solution for any use case.”
Sateliot’s Smallsat System will allow the company to quickly introduce its 2GHz MSS/IoT services while enabling partner MNOs to integrate NB-IoT-NTN applications and expand their geographic coverage without investing in additional infrastructure through a simple roaming agreement with Sateliot. The company plans to file a separate market access petition for its full commercial 2GHz MSS/IoT constellation soon.
The company has already partnered with over 50 MNOs and MVNOs worldwide and aims to collaborate with American mobile operators to provide new 2GHz MSS/IoT applications in the US for the benefit of their customers.
Sateliot is also the first new space company to become a member of the GSMA and the GCF, which is the top device compliance certification organisation for manufacturers, operators, and test laboratories.
The company has built a sales pipeline of over $1bn across many regions, applications, and verticals worldwide. Its approach to leveraging the 3GPP Release-17 Standard on its own constellation sets it apart from other satellite operators and allows it to offer cost-effective and seamless connectivity everywhere on the planet.
By applying to expand its services in the US, Sateliot aims to capitalise on the country’s growing IoT market and establish itself as a major player in the satellite industry.
Earlier this month, Sateliot successfully launched ‘The Groundbreaker’, which is the world’s first 5G NB-IoT LEO satellite.
You can view The Groundbreaker’s launch below:
(Image Credit: Sateliot)
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