Global network and connectivity solutions company Truphone and satellite network service provider Skylo have announced what they describes a world first at MWC 2022.
Satellite communications previously required expensive modems and specialised antennas in order to access satellite coverage. This new connectivity uses existing equipment whose capabilities are expanded with a simple firmware update
In this partnership, Skylo has successfully enabled ordinary cellular devices with Truphone SIMs to connect and transmit NB-IoT data via Skylo’s established satellite network, all without any additional hardware changes to the devices in order to create network orchestration.
Now, the partners say, Skylo’s technology and core network, combined with Truphone’s MVNO capabilities, prove that completely ordinary narrowband cellular devices can connect reliably from anywhere in the world by seamlessly switching over to a satellite network when they’re out of terrestrial coverage.
In this demonstration, Truphone subscriber devices were successfully able to connect and transmit data to and from Skylo’s satellite network (over existing geostationary satellites as far as 36,000 km in space), as if it were an ordinary terrestrial mobile network.
As for applications, the partners says that this opens up a world of opportunities for end users of IoT devices by making it possible for them to access truly global coverage as the new default, no matter where they may be. Applications exist for remote sensors across a host of key verticals, including energy, asset tracking, logistics, maritime and agriculture.