Satellite/Terrestrial IoT Convergence Seen as Imminent
The RF modules and stacked chipsets that will allow convergence of satellite and terrestrial IoT networks should be commercially available and getting deployment within the next year or so, IoT satellite system operators told us.
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Satellite/terrestrial IoT convergence will happen "much sooner than mobile," which remains "quite far in the future" despite announcements like T-Mobile/SpaceX, emailed Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Spain's Sateliot. T-Mobile and SpaceX last month announced they were partnering on satellite-delivered mobile coverage using some of the wireless carrier's spectrum and SpaceX satellites (see 2208260038). Sanpera said Sateliot will be commercially operational before the end of next year with its low earth orbit constellation that's fully 5G IoT compatible, and chipsets and RF modules will be ready by then.
Enterprises using IoT connectivity are looking for terrestrial/ satellite network convergence, said Globalstar IoT Vice President Dave Haight. The networks are separate silos, but the use cases often overlap, he said. Some networks will operate side by side, with dual modems and chipsets, though the move is toward integration of single stacks and smaller form factors, he said. Those integrated chipsets and modules should start being available in 2023, with convergence being pursued more heavily in 2024 and 2025, he said.
Globalstar is working with customers and manufacturers about incorporating its terrestrial Band 53 in use cases such as infrastructure and manufacturing, Haight said. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) approved Band 53 in 2020 for use in 5G (see 2003230069).
Inmarsat enterprise business unit President Mike Carter said in a statement some chipset makers and radio access network providers are exploring 3GPP standards supporting nonterrestrial networks, and proof of concepts should come within 12 months or so, "but a full commercial roll-out of such solutions might take longer."
Applications like agrotech, cattle management, infrastructure monitoring and logistics are particularly interested in convergent satellite/terrestrial IoT networks, Sanpera said. He said the disruption from that convergence will also drive new applications in areas like personal IoT, and convergence of satellite and terrestrial networks will undoubtedly lead to some M&A.
Sateliot signed an agreement with Telefonica and will announce other mobile network operators with more than 1.2 billion subscribers signing with it, Sanpera said. It's also signing with service providers and end-user customers, he said. He said 3GPP's Release 17 of narrowband IoT protocol earlier this year (see 2205180003) should result in chipsets and RF modules that are completely standard, working for all providers. That will allow economies of scale and producing standard devices cheaply, he said. He said IoT providers will likely have multiple roaming agreements with satellite partners, and 6G will likely be natively designed to support terrestrial and satellite networks.
Inmarsat's Carter said it has been exploring satellite/terrestrial convergence for several years. Some Inmarsat product lines already offer hybrid satellite and LTE compatibility, allowing users to balance cost-effective routing with throughput needs, he said. The company also deployed some hybrid offerings using satellite mixed with LoRa RF modulation in such industries as agri-tech, mining and energy, he said. Inmarsat successfully piloted over-the-air testing using chipsets with 5G narrowband IoT terrestrial and satellite protocols, he said: "We are also exploring broader partnership models as we look at how best to meet increasing demand for IoT solutions over the longer term."
Some satellite IoT providers are developing their own proprietary tech and application-specific integrated circuits for satellite connectivity over low earth, medium earth and geostationary orbits, Carter said. He said others are using the work of the 3GPP community and off-the-shelf chipsets and RF modules. That decision "is often driven by the specific application it will be used for and whether it will help optimise processing power in a cost-efficient manner," Carter said, saying hardware is increasingly becoming software defined.
Converged IoT networks will largely focus on mass market applications initially, such as continuity of service for mobile phones and wearable tech, Carter said. There also will be sizable demand for critical infrastructure such as utilities and rail, as well as connected vehicles and some industries, including agriculture, oil and gas and mining, he said.