FAQ

Sateliot is a Barcelona-based startup in the New Space sector, founded in 2018 by Jaume Sanpera (CEO), Marco Guadalupi (CTO), Jose Carrero (CFO), Albert Pujol (RID), becoming the first satellite telecommunications operator that will provide global and continuous connectivity to all the elements that will make up the massive Internet of Things (IoT) universe under the 5G NB-IoT protocol. We have opened opportunities for companies in the IoT ecosystem to test for free our service through joining the Early Adopters Program. For more information about the program, please visit: Early Adopters Program. Please visit our Overview page to find out our mission and vision.

Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellites are way closer to the earth, 550km instead of 35.000 km from the surface this means that it takes less energy and time for the IoT devices to connect to LEO satellites. Smaller distances allow IoT devices to use the same power profile, NB1, defined for NB-IoT in 3GPP Release 13. Moreover, they don’t need a clear open sky to work, since LEO satellites’ orbits are not steady like GEO, they orbit Earth always getting new connectivity angles.

With LEO, it is also possible to benefit from the New Space paradigm. Using CubeSats in LEO, the cost of building and launching a satellite is greatly reduced, resulting in a much more competitive service cost.

Narrowband is ideal for IoT due to its efficient spectrum use, long-range capabilities, low power consumption, reduced interference, and cost-effectiveness. These characteristics make narrowband suitable for the widespread deployment of IoT devices, enabling reliable communication in diverse environments while optimizing resources and minimizing operational costs. Broadband, on the other hand, offers higher data rates, making it more suitable for applications that require intensive data transfer, such as high-definition video streaming for example. Broadband often comes with increased power requirements and potential interference challenges, making it less optimal for scenarios where long-range coverage, energy efficiency, and cost considerations are prioritized, as in many IoT deployments.

3GPP stands for 3^rd Generation Partnership Project, it’s a collaborative project between a group of telecommunications organizations, it develops and defines standards and protocols for mobile telecommunications. Sateliot has made the most contributions to Release 17 within the 3GPP from a satellite operator perspective, contributions that were unanimously accepted by all the members.

It's a super scalable b2b business model. When you launch a constellation of low-orbit satellites, you cover the entire globe, and commercially you have to hit everyone. This can be very complicated, imagine arriving in a country and getting to a customer who doesn't know you or your brand, it costs three years and a lot of money to get their trust.

However, we operate on the same device that the Mobile Operator is already using, what we do is become the coverage extension of those local telcos.

We implement and offer connectivity based on a standard protocol. The satellite industry has traditionally offered connectivity based on proprietary solutions. End users have to pay monthly subscription costs and invest in proprietary hardware. Sateliot's Global connectivity goes beyond what is available in the market, as it is the first LEO Satellite connectivity provider that works under the 3GPP Standard, an agreement made by top-notch tech companies such as Apple, Sony, and Samsung, among others.

Sateliot is the first to take advantage of this standard, which allows all existing NB-IoT devices to be connected via Satellite through Sateliot's constellation. This means Sateliot is able to provide service at a similar cost and price to that of terrestrial cellular networks. This innovation will finally enable the massive adoption of IoT in traditional out-of-coverage areas.

Digitalization has enriched many aspects of our lives, such as society, business, health, and education. However, this is only limited to 15% of the surface of the world, where terrestrial infrastructure exists.

There is a multitude of industries that can benefit from 5G satellite connectivity. For instance, We’ve partnered with GoSpace to Grant 43 Million Americans Access to Safe-Drinking Well Water 

With S4IoT to Revolutionize Beehive Monitoring for Global Food Security. Regrettably, only 15% of beehives are currently monitored, leaving a significant gap in safeguarding these essential pollinators. 

With Streamline to Empower Livestock Management.

Together with Sensefinity to transform maritime logistics with satellite container shipping tracking. 

Affordable and standard satellite connectivity will significantly impact many industries not properly reached with today’s cellular networks. 

Telefonica, AWS, GSMA, Comfone, GCF and many other MNOs… 

Sateliot showcased the end-to-end transmission over Telefónica’s network using a regular SIM card provisioned on the Kite platform of Telefónica Tech on an IoT cellular device, seamlessly switching it to Sateliot network. The test demonstrated successfully that a standard roaming connection can be authenticated by the Telefónica core through Sateliot networks.

SATELIOT became a GSMA Operator member: Sateliot's membership in the GSMA is a significant step forward."We are thrilled to have become a GSMA operator," said Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot. "As of this moment, we are the only satellite operator that is authorized and capable of having standard roaming agreements with global MNOS and MVNOS. As a result, Sateliot's customers can now easily access their IoT devices and applications from anywhere in the world without needing multiple SIM cards or complex integrations.

GCF welcomes Sateliot as the first satellite operator to bring device interoperability based on the 3GPP standards: Gianluca Redolfi, Sateliot’s CCO, said: “This unprecedented agreement in the space industry sends a clear message that Sateliot’s technology is groundbreaking and disrupting the satellite industry. It’s no secret that, in the future, most IoT devices will work under standard protocols as is happening on terrestrial communications.”

Sateliot partners with Comfone and enables 480 MNOs to Provide Worldwide 5G Satellite Connectivity with Roaming: Comfone’s IPX service and Key2roam Roaming Hub facilitate the integration between Sateliot and MNOs as well as MVNOs. Ultimately, enabling IoT device owners to send and receive 5G data anywhere in the world, regardless of the SIM card they are using, seamlessly from Sateliot’s non-terrestrial network (NTN). 

Sateliot Works With AWS On an Innovative Cloud Native 5G Satellite Network To Connect IoT Devices Directly To Satellites. Using AWS, Sateliot has built a fully virtualized cloud-native 5G core for NB-IoT with Magma, a project run by The Linux Foundation that aims to provide flexible, low-cost, and scalable broadband solutions to support rural Internet access needs.

‘Store & Forward’ implementation, a two-step authentication method developed and patented by Sateliot, was created to support standard roaming with a Mobile Network Operator and adapted to the Non-Terrestrial Network in low earth orbit (NTN LEO). The Store & Forward technology is part of a Sateliot 5G network with satellite access that stores data when the satellite is not in a position to connect with a ground station and forwards it as entering the coverage range. This is a particularly relevant feature for Sateliot’s delay-tolerant IoT services for its early-stage constellation, in which the number of satellites is still limited.

The positive results of the demo carried out in partnership with Telefonica confirm that 5G IoT devices are able to transmit data through a standard roaming interface using the Store & Forward two-step authentication method, ensuring Sateliot enters commercial operations in 2024.

No you don’t. Your existing cellular SIM card will work for both cellular and satellite connectivity, so no special SIM card is required for Sateliot’s satellite connectivity.

No. Sateliot’s network operates for standard NB-IoT devices, so all IoT devices that support standard NTN NB-IoT connectivity can use our network.

No, we don’t. Sateliot is a satellite operator that provides standard 5G NB-IoT connectivity. Existing modules/chipset manufacturers will provide the terminals/modules.

By having standard devices connect directly to the satellite, the connectivity is greatly simplified as there is no need to install, maintain and manage the gateway. So again, it can optimize considerably your business cost.

We are developing the constellation of low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites that will extend the mobile operator coverage and provide global connectivity to unmodified commercial IoT devices wherever they are. The number of IoT devices is expected to be 29 billion in 2030. However, 90% of the Earth’s surface has no mobile coverage due to a lack of infrastructure. So the demand for satellite-based IoT connectivity is urgently needed, and its potential is endless. For more information on investing in Sateliot, please send your request to: jose@sateliot.space