In the latest episode of Lexicon, Interesting Engineering's podcast, we speak with Gianluca Redolfi, the chief commercial officer (CCO) at Sateliot. This company launched the first set of low-earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellites, bringing 5G coverage to the Internet of Things (IoT).
As we all know, digitalization has transformed societies, businesses, health, and education worldwide. Surprisingly, its advantages are limited to just 15 percent of the global population.
Gianluca sheds light on areas lacking cellular coverage, stating, "The objective of Sateliot is to connect everything everywhere or everybody." He acknowledges the pivotal role of global cellular networks but notes a persistent limitation since the mid-90s — areas worldwide where cellular coverage is absent.
"There's a limitation on places with no cellular coverage," he emphasized.
"And then there's another aspect: it's not just human beings that want to be connected, but also things." We're talking about the (IoT) in this context. From homes and cars to streets, he describes them as being "absolutely everywhere."
Solving 'no connection' — from off-grid to big cities
"You might assume you'd need to be in a remote location, perhaps in the Alps, to lose connectivity," Gianluca said, "However, I experienced a time in California (U.S.) where it was surprisingly easy to find areas with limited coverage — even near major cities."
In response to this challenge (we discuss scenarios beyond the U.S.), Gianluca explained that Sateliot stands out as the first satellite operator offering IoT connectivity from space under the 3GPP Standard. This is a standard established by top-tier tech companies such as Apple, Sony, and Samsung.
Gianluca explains the significance of this service, highlighting that if you want a phone that operates via satellite, traditionally, you'd require a specific phone designed for that satellite network, which can be costly.
In essence, you'd need to carry two phones to ensure connectivity. However, with Sateliot's approach to 5G and its standardization, any everyday device can seamlessly switch to satellite coverage whenever it goes out of the regular hardware coverage.
'A 'big change'
"You don't need to have a different device. There's an extension of coverage to everywhere that goes through satellite on the backend," Gianluca said.
The fact that there's no need for a separate device is a real game-changer — and we quickly learn from Gianluca that this is not only to individuals in their daily activities but also entire industries.
For example, companies worldwide are already contributing to what is termed "smart agriculture," aiding farmers and the agricultural industry in producing better results with fewer resources.
This involves using devices that monitor various factors like moisture, temperature, sunlight, location, wind, and even insect sounds. These devices help optimize resource consumption, such as water and chemicals, leading to improved outcomes.
However, a limitation arises when it comes to retrieving information in areas without cellular networks. This is where satellite connectivity becomes crucial, enabling data transmission for analysis and actionable insights back to farmers.
"It could be the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, and Australia. It could be China or many others. There's a significant lack of coverage specifically on agriculture," Gianluca said.
He explained that without the need to change their current devices and by paying essentially the same price point as they would to the seller, they can extend their solution to cover more areas.
"And that's basically the big change. We are now saying to the world 'let's finally make connectivity for everything everywhere."
'Surprising' challenges Sateliot's tech helps to solve
I mentioned [connectivity solutions] for the big ones… but then, of course, we've been in contact with very surprising ones," he revealed.
For example, companies that follow beehives. Gianluca explained that satellite connectivity is instrumental in monitoring beehives. It involves checking the hive's location and gathering data on the number of bees inside, those that have left, and those that have returned.
He explained that it's comprehensive information like this that aids in improving and enhancing honey production.
"There are two types of satellites – geostationary ones that stay fixed over a particular part of the Earth, commonly associated with weather forecasts, positioned about 37,000 kilometers away," Gianluca explained.
"Then, there are satellites in motion, [like Sateliot's ones], located at approximately 600 kilometers and moving at speeds around 24-25,000 kilometers per hour."
These satellites move rapidly to cover the entire globe, ensuring consistent capacity everywhere they pass over.
"In some areas, there's even excess capacity, leading to agreements with NGOs for providing free connectivity for their initiatives, particularly in conservation efforts like tracking extinctions," he said.
As another example, Sateliot's tech can help track birds. He mentioned Brazil and South Africa, explaining that small sensors connected to their satellites monitor the birds, observing their behaviors and migrations.
Recently, Sateliot announced its partnership with the EWT in South Africa to deploy 5G IoT sensors on vultures. This move will aid in tracking illegal trade that has led to the poisoning of thousands of vultures across Africa, causing devastating population declines and pushing them swiftly toward extinction.
The press release details how Sateliot's collaboration with NGOs extends 5G satellite coverage to these organizations. This extension seamlessly occurs through standard roaming with existing Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), removing the need for additional satellite user equipment. In other words, NGOs can now expand their operational reach using the same terrestrial standard as mobile operators.
How 5G connectivity from space aids search and rescue missions
If someone falls out of a boat at sea and needs to be located, the traditional method of physically searching can be time-consuming. In fortunate cases, the person may be found, but often, these challenging conditions make it nearly impossible.
"If you think about it, we're in 2024 now, where we have GPS and many tools. It's surprising that we cannot know somebody's location just because they went five hundred meters away from us," he said.
However, he revealed that a few companies are now developing smart life jackets. These can incorporate Sateliot's tech to address such concerns and provide real-time location tracking, ensuring enhanced safety.
"It's not for tomorrow morning, but that's where the world is moving toward," he added.
Another impactful improvement is in fire prevention, a significant concern, even in regions like California where fires are frequent.
Companies currently use satellite connectivity, but it's expensive. By reducing equipment costs from $1500 to $100, the same budget can cover 15 times more devices, enabling better and broader coverage.
In the podcast, we briefly highlight that this same concept extends to natural hazards like tsunamis and earthquakes, where terrestrial infrastructure for cellular connectivity is often compromised. Having connectivity from space acts as a reliable backup in such situations.
Dealing with challenges
As usual, IE inquired about any technological or engineering obstacles hindering Sateliot's progress. Gianluca clarified that, like any startup, they face daily challenges encompassing not only technical hurdles but also those inherent to the entrepreneurial journey.
He added that while they don't have a specific technological or data challenge that, if resolved, ensures smooth sailing, the reality is that challenges persist.
"You fixed one thing — one challenge. Another one shows up, you want to move farther, so you go to another challenge," he said.
To wrap up, Gianluca highlights that Sateliot is open to talking to telecom operators and providers to address use cases worldwide.
Originally published on Interesting Engineering : Original article