Skip to main content

5G NB-IoT NTN Coverage Extension by Sateliot

Sateliot is a 5G NB-IoT NTN (Rel. 17) Coverage Extension satellite operator in SSO Low Earth Orbit for wholesale service to MNO (NB-IoT Coverage Extension). They claims to be the first satellite operator to offer IoT connectivity over standard 5G NB-IoT. According to this presentation, they have been a member of 3GPP since 2019, being, among space companies, the major contributor to the Rel. 17 IoT NTN Study Item.

In April 2023, Sateliot successfully launched The GroundBreaker, the first-ever satellite under 5G Standard to Democratize IoT, via SpaceX Falcon 9. The GroundBreaker is the first of a 250 LEO satellite constellation, which will work as cell towers from space.

In July 2022, Telefónica announced that it's collaborating with Sateliot through its divisions Telefónica Tech and Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS). The eventual goal being the development of an innovative connectivity service with dual 5G NB-IoT technology in which Sateliot's new satellite network will be integrated with Telefónica Tech's current terrestrial NB-IoT networks to offer IoT connectivity wherever the customer needs it, including maritime coverage.

A year later, in July 2023, TelecomTV reported on the Telefónica and Sateliot 5G roaming breakthrough claim in space:

In a test overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA), the two partners provided satellite coverage extension to Telefónica’s cellular network through standard GSMA roaming. They used a regular SIM card (run on Telefónica’s Kite platform – a managed connectivity solution developed by the operator’s digital technology and services division, Telefónica Tech) on an internet of things (IoT) cellular device, which was able to “seamlessly” switch to Sateliot’s network of low-earth orbit (LEO) 5G IoT satellite constellation.

A two-step store-and-forward authentication method was also implemented during the test to support standard roaming with a mobile network operator (MNO) and this was then adapted to the non-terrestrial network in low-earth orbit (NTN LEO). This technology, according to the company, enables data storage when the satellite is not in a position to connect with a ground station, and forwards it as it is entering the coverage range. 

Telefónica added that the store-and-forward feature is suitable for its ‘delay-tolerant’ IoT services for its early-stage constellation, as it still has a limited number of satellites. “The test demonstrated successfully that a standard roaming connection can be authenticated by the Telefónica core through Sateliot networks,” the satellite company noted in a statement unveiling the move, adding that this development opens the door for “massive access to connectivity everywhere in the planet.”

And this is exactly where Telefónica’s ambitions fall into place: The telco is confident that in 2024, it will be the first MNO to provide its customers with narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) “everywhere-in-the-planet connectivity”. This offering will consist of a ‘seamless’ combination of cellular and satellite standard NB-IoT network, as well as “inexpensive commercial standard NB-IoT devices”.

Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot recenly gave a presentation that is embedded below. He starts with the claim that 80% of the world is still not connected by mobile but we think that around 90% of earth lack any kind of connectivity (Tweet ☝️):

There is also a good list of IoT applications here that they plan on covering, and in general, satellite based IoT can support.

Related Posts: 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laser Inter-Satellite Links (LISLs) in a Starlink Constellation

When we first talked about Starlink back in 2019 , we saw in the video that the concept involved laser communication to communicate between the satellites. While the initially launched satellites did not have the laser communication mechanism built in, it looks like they are being added to the newer ones.  A report from Fast Company in late 2021 said: One of the next big upgrades in telecom will involve satellites firing lasers at each other—to beam data, not blow stuff up. The upside of replacing traditional radio-frequency communication with lasers, that encode data as pulses of light, can be much like that of deploying fiber-optic cable for terrestrial broadband: much faster speeds and much lower latency. “Laser links in orbit can reduce long-distance latency by as much as 50%, due to higher speed of light in vacuum & shorter path than undersea fiber,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted in July about the upgrade now beginning for that firm’s Starlink satellite constellation. The
1 comment
Read more

IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability (UHR), a.k.a. Wi-Fi 8

Back in 2020 we looked at the introductory post of Wi-Fi 7 which was followed up by a more detailed post in Feb 2022. We are now following on with an introductory post on the next generation Wi-Fi.  A new paper on arXiv explores the journey towards IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability (UHR), the amendment that will form the basis of Wi-Fi 8. Quoting selected items from the paper  below: After providing an overview of the nearly completed Wi-Fi 7 standard, we present new use cases calling for further Wi-Fi evolution. We also outline current standardization, certification, and spectrum allocation activities, sharing updates from the newly formed UHR Study Group. We then introduce the disruptive new features envisioned for Wi-Fi 8 and discuss the associated research challenges. Among those, we focus on access point coordination and demonstrate that it could build upon 802.11be multi-link operation to make Ultra High Reliability a reality in Wi-Fi 8. The IEEE 802.11bn UHR: Whose Study Gro
Post a Comment
Read more

NTT Docomo's Disaster Countermeasures to Keep People Connected

Recently I blogged about Disaster Roaming in 3GPP Release-17. While this will take time to be implemented worldwide, it is already available in Japan, maybe not in the 3GPP standardised way. Similarly, back in 2011, I blogged about Earthquake and Tsunami Warning service (ETWS) from NTT Docomo's Journal, it was two days before the  2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit. Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters, which can have a devastating effect on infrastructure. To ensure that the mobile networks keep functioning, operators work extremely hard to ensure people remain connected one way or another. NTT Docomo has released a video detailing the countermeasures to keep everyone connected in case of emergencies. The following detail is provided with the video: DOCOMO's network is no exception, and our services could get cut off by a base station power outage, disconnected fiber-optic cable, or other malfunctions. DOCOMO established the three pr
Post a Comment
Read more