On March 7, the Spanish space company Sateliot announced the launch with SpaceX of four new satellites for its 5G IoT LEO constellation, connecting nearly 7 million IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The new spacecraft will be launched this summer and will allow Sateliot to start billing €187 million of blinding orders with over 350 international clients, opening its commercial phase.
Update on the scheduled launch date.*
“We are ready to enter a new dimension, both technologically and commercially. We are closer to becoming the first IoT constellation operating worldwide under the 5G standard. And we will place Spain at the forefront of the New Space revolution.”
— Jaume Sanpera, CEO and co-founder of Sateliot
Sateliot, funded in 2018, is the first company to operate a LEO constellation based on the 5G standard, allowing unmodified commercial cellular NB-IoT NTN devices to connect from space at low costs. The telecom space operator has already signed significant partnerships with several MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and participates in the European project ETHER. Sateliot is headquartered in Barcelona and has an office in San Diego, USA.
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New assets to expand affordable satellite connectivity
The four new satellites will join the two spacecraft already operating in orbit, thus starting the commercial phase of Sateliot’s service. The CubeSats, each weighing 10 kg, will orbit at an altitude between 500 and 600 km. They will provide complete global coverage and are set to have a life service of five years.
The onboard standard technologies are validated by the European Space Agency and the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) organization, of which Sateliot is a major contributor. Thanks to 3GPP’s latest Release 17 protocol, the Spanish company can provide a direct satellite connection that seamlessly integrates with existing terrestrial connections, eliminating the need for complex and expensive additional hardware. End-users will be able to switch from terrestrial to non-terrestrial 5G networks using low-cost commercial devices (under $5).
Standardization will allow them to provide connection services progressively according to customer demands, in line with the deployment of the constellation. Initially, the IoT applications that require less connectivity, such as agriculture, will have access to the network. In the end, Sateliot’s constellation will provide real-time services worldwide.
In April 2023, Sateliot launched its first 5G nanosatellite on board SpaceX’s Transporter-7 mission; in July together with the Spanish Telefonica, they achieved the world’s first 5G connection from space. Last month the first messaging connection was achieved via the Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) commercial ground network, together with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
*UPDATE March 11: Sateliot has confirmed to Space Voyaging that the new satellites are scheduled to be launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-11 rideshare mission, planned for June.
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