Page 68 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

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Astrocast’s Bidirectional Satellite IoT Service Launches Commercially

Astrocast has made its bidirectional
satellite IoT service commercially available,
aimed at connecting IoT devices globally
for use outside of cell-based terrestrial
networks. The service uses Astrocast’s
own recently launched nanosatellite
constellation, in Low Earth Orbit, and it is
bidding to support low-cost applications
in asset tracking and telemetry. Target
sectors include agriculture and livestock,
utilities, transport and mining – involving
remote locations such as mines, farmland,
ships and oil platform. “So far, organizations
have struggled to create a business case of going beyond terrestrial IoT will be able Astronode S, a module featuring low
for deploying IoT solutions that can offer to create new competitive advantages profile L-band antenna, ultra-low power
comprehensive global coverage, as well too.” Possible applications for SatIoT consumption, and a small form factor. It
as efficient and reliable connectivity,” said Jordan cites the example, in New Zealand, will use Global L-Band frequencies and
Fabien Jordan, CEO of Astrocast. “There of the need to remotely track cattle to incorporate 256 bit encryption with multi-
is now an opportunity to use satellite IoT identify individual animals that are unwell, level security, says the company. Early in
to increase visibility, transparency, and allowing fast intervention and removal 2001, the Astrocast network went live with
control over assets globally – and the from the herd, to both reduce the spread the initial launch of five nanosatellites.
potential for use cases across an array of of disease and minimize the need for Since then, the constellation has grown,
sectors is almost limitless. What is more, medication. According to the company, reaching ten with the launch of five more
in the past, these solutions have been too the nanosatellite constellation uses a nanosatellites satellites onboard a SpaceX
complex, costly, or simply unavailable. patented data protocol that was developed Falcon 9 rocket in June 2021. The Swiss
But, thanks to developments in satellite for satellite-based IoT in partnership company says it is working towards
IoT technology, this is changing; and with Airbus, CEA/LETI, the European deploying a 100-satellite constellation by
organizations that recognize the potential Space Agency, and Thuraya. It developed 2024.

Starlink Launches 500Mbps Premium Satellite Broadband Plan

Starlink has 1,871 LEOs in orbit (1,846 are
active) and their initial plan is to deploy a
total of 4,425 by 2024. Customers in the
UK typically pay a hefty £89 a month, plus
£54 for shipping and £439 for the kit (dish,
router etc.). But for that you can expect
unlimited usage, fast latency times of 20-
40ms, downloads of c. 50-250Mbps and
uploads of c.10-20Mbps (such figures
should improve as the network grows).
However, SpaceX’s boss man Elon Musk
has just announced the soft launch of a
new PREMIUM tier on Starlink, and it’s
easy to see why they’ve written that in ALL
CAPS. The new service costs a whopping
$500 per month, which puts it well out of
the reach of ordinary consumers. So what
SpaceX’s Starlink ISP, which provides (LEO), has soft launched an expensive new do you get for all that money? A much larger,
ultrafast low latency broadband across the PREMIUM tier that will give you speeds of more robust and more capable antenna, as
world and the UK via a mega constellation up to 500Mbps for $500 per month (£369) well as the promise of download speeds
of compact satellites in Low Earth Orbit and $2,500 for the kit (£1843). At present in the 150-500Mbps range, uploads of

68 FEBRUARY 2022