Satellite NB-IoT
Internet Of Things

Introducing Satellite NB-IoT, or Connectivity Everywhere

The concept of internet everywhere has been promoted as nextgen technology arriving in 2021. Advancements in narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and satellite NB-IoT are moving closer to that goal. Basic narrow-band connectivity allows for users in remote locations such as farmers to connect with the internet. Here’s a deeper look at how satellites from space can help people on Earth access higher quality internet


New Innovative Satellite Technology

Proof of concept satellite NB-IoT systems have now been demonstrated by Skylo Technologies based on geostationary satellites. These small satellites connect with small earth-bound hubs that cost less than $100 each to make. The company has raised over 0 million in funding from the SoftBank Group while partnering with India-based telecom firm BSNL.

A different type of satellite constellation is being developed by Spain-based Sateliot and Denmark-based GateHouse using small satellites functioning as base stations in low orbits around Earth. OQ Technology claims to be the first smallsat 5G IoT operator to deliver uninterrupted cellular coverage anywhere. In the United States, Ligado Networks is working on similar technology. China launched two satellites in May 2021 and has plans to expand the constellation in the next few years.

These developments, however, are working around limitations of the current 3rd Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) standards, which were updated in October 2020. The 3GPP, based in France, encompasses various standards organizations that affect mobile telecommunications. The same body has developed and maintained various internet connectivity standards such as 4G and 5G.


Aiming for Global Internet Coverage

The idea of global connectivity is a giant leap forward in the evolution of the internet. Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has developed a satellite internet service called Starlink with the goal of delivering continuous global coverage by September 2021. Starlink is building about 1,800 smallsats for low orbit around the earth to be used in the near future. In the bigger picture, Starlink will eventually expand its constellation to 12,000 satellites.

The Starlink project will ultimately cost around $10 billion. But the payoff will be that beta services will be offered in 11 countries. Musk announced in May 2021 that the company had already received over 500,000 preorders to join the internet service. If all goes well, SpaceX plans to have 42,000 Starlink satellites by May 2027.

Early adopters of the Starlink service have paid $99 per month plus $499 for a kit that includes a WiFi router, tripod, and terminal for connecting with the smallsats in low orbit. Once the full global service is launched, users will be able to access internet speeds up to 209.17 megabits per second.


NB-IoT Development

While NB-IoT has been tested to meet 5G latency requirements, satellite internet that complies with 5G requirements is still in its infancy. The factors that will affect the further development and refinement of 5G satellite internet for global coverage include the following:

  • Size of the satellite
  • Satellite link budget
  • Altitude of the satellite

Energy savings alone make NB-IoT ideal technology for satellite networks that meet 5G requirements in the quest for global internet coverage. Another reason for businesses to pursue this solution is that it provides continuous service to remote areas. Furthermore, satellites from space are now able to track lost vessels


Conclusion

The advent of satellite NB-IoT technology is set to be a game-changer when it comes to global coverage for low bandwidth applications. With SpaceX being the most prominent, several companies plan to capitalize on this new technology to improve internet reach and speed. As a result, these satellite providers will help launch massive new sectors and niche markets by bringing continuous internet connectivity to millions more people and businesses.


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LEO satellites and IoT
Internet Of Things

Satellite Internet and IoT Devices in Space

First came satellite communications, then came the internet. Decades later the two technologies have joined to shape the future of how humans communicate. Low-Earth-Orbit Satellites (LEOs) are an emerging development moving toward communication in outer space. Here’s a look at how LEO satellites and IoT devices are spreading in space to serve commercial and government stakeholders.


Satellite Constellations for Greater Connectivity

Today, there are thousands of satellites orbiting the earth. Some of them are government-owned, others are for commercial communication services. These satellites operate at 2,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface. The orbital period lasts from 84 to 127 minutes. LEOs must stay above 160 kilometers to avoid falling into a danger zone of rapid orbital decay.

Several satellite companies exist in belts orbiting Earth. Private company satellites tend to rest in fixed positions in the GEO belt, which is positioned much further out than the LEO belt. That’s why satellites in the GEO belt have much broader coverage.

One of the drawbacks to GEO satellites is that mobile antennas must point to them. Consequently, the signal weakens as the mobile antenna moves away from the satellite. But when large constellations work together, they provide more consistent global coverage. At 2,000 kilometers LEOs can detect weak signals, but they need to be part of a constellation with thousands of satellites to provide sufficient global coverage.


NASA’s Role in Satellite Development

The federal government’s aerospace agency NASA has been working with satellite developers since the late 1950s. The agency’s current Small Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP) develops and demonstrates satellites that are also capable of going on space missions. A NASA satellite program that aims to collaborate with universities is the Smallsat Technology Partnerships Initiative.

One consistent element in the evolution of LEO satellites and IoT devices is they keep getting smaller, which means an increasing number of satellites can share launch vehicles. They are both economical and capable of increasingly sophisticated functions. Smallsats can be integrated with numerous technologies, such as photography to take high-resolution images from space.

NASA’s definition of a small spacecraft is one with a mass of less than 180 kilograms. Other small spacecraft are identified by their size such as the following:

Minisatellite: 100+ kg
Microsatellite: 10-100 kg
Nanosatellite: 1-10 kg
Pictosatellite: 10g-1 kg
Femtosatellite: 1g-10 g


Growth of SpaceX and Competitors

Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has a plan to build a network of 12,000 satellites for its Starlink project that will introduce ultra-high-speed internet to the world. It’s among several commercial players using LEOs to gain seamless global connectivity. A main competitor to SpaceX is LeoSat Enterprises, which aims to upgrade high-speed internet with less latency and more security. The company is working on an innovation that connects satellites with laser links within a constellation.

Various satellite companies are working on making internet more seamless through space. A major breakthrough for LEOs has been advances through small spacecraft and satellites called “smallsats”. These smaller satellites help cut costs on space missions and can be used for a wide variety of projects.


Future of Commercial Satellites

Industry experts believe the future will include constellations of very small satellites with short life cycles for short-term use. The current lifespan of the average satellite is 15 years. The pattern of smallsat evolution through today has been an increase of functions as size shrinks. These powerful data gathering and transmitting devices will help scientists learn more about Earth and how it relates to space.


Conclusion

Space communications are underway as 21st-century science begins to resemble last century’s science fiction, with LEO satellites and IoT devices capable of delivering broader data transmissions. Altogether, advancements in satellite communications will continue to increase the reliability of terrestrial networks for asset tracking, remote management, and other applications used by global businesses.


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internet of space Things
Aerospace

Internet of Space Things: Extending IoT Applications in Space

A key component of IoT’s long-term success is its capacity to be ubiquitous, an area in which disparate connectivity solutions fall amazingly short. Today, the Internet of Things is stretching towards the skies in what is known as the “Internet of Space.”


Internet of Space

Leading companies around the globe have started seriously considering the concept of the Internet of Space (IoS). Both NASA and ESA have prepared plans to deploy satellite networks around Earth, spanning Mars and the Sun. The networks consist of microwave antenna arrays with miniaturized satellites and lasers pointing through free space.

In the coming years, these technologies will provide the communication networks needed for connected robots and landers that will explore and possibly mine lunar and Martian surfaces.


Internet of Space Things (loST)

An innovative group from the Georgia Institute of Technology has introduced the concept of the Internet of Space Things (IoST).

The “things” in IoST specifically refer to a new class of small satellites they’ve developed called CubeSats. Equipped with limited onboard processing, their role primary revolves around data collection and transmission to and from the Earth, in conjunction with active and passive sensing capabilities.

The promise of CubeSats is the realization of a new global cyber-physical system that enables a multitude of applications on land, in the air, and in space. Additional connectivity leveraged from LEOs, GEOs, and MEOs, as well as the use of SDN and NVF based frameworks would allow CubeSats to be highly scalable, operate as-a-service and utilize network slicing for resource isolation between users.

Their system is designed for flexibility with multi-band connectivity to enable a wide range of geostationary and near-geostationary endpoints, including terrestrial, below ground, and underwater locations. Security is built into the IoST architecture through the use of different security profiles and delievered as-a-service to protect the availablity, integrity, and privacy of all connected resources and information.

Use cases for IoST applications:

  • Remote sensing
  • Monitoring of terrain and assets
  • Exploration of the deep space
  • Management of global transportation
  • Inter-CubeSat or ground-station data transmission
  • Disrupted or underserved areas have limited Internet access

Global Internet Access for All

Companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin have broken several traditional ideas about space exploration, opening up further investigation by private companies into commercial space opportunities.

Most new developments in IoS revolve around bringing internet connectivity to the other one-third of the world’s population (3 billion) who don’t have it. The ability to provide broadband access depends on the low-latency, high-speed communications provided by low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.

LEO satellites are smaller, cheaper, and easier to produce than their GEO and MEO satellite cousins. For context, it only takes 3 GEO satellites to provide 100% communications coverage at an altitude of 22,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. On the other hand, thousands of LEO satellites are required to reach complete coverage because they are so close to Earth’s surface (500-1000 miles). Accordingly, companies launching LEO constellations are benefitting from the low production costs and short development times of this technology.

Key Players in the Race to LEO

OneWeb

Enhanced internet connectivity is expected worldwide through the launch of 648 satellites by OneWeb Satellites by the end of 2022. As of 17 December 2020, 140 satellites were in operation by the company. OneWeb announced another launch, by 2022, of 650 satellites that will cover the entire world.

Starlink and SpaceX

The Starlink satellites supported by SpaceX aim to provide rural areas with high-speed broadband connectivity previously only available in urban areas. More than 1,000 Starlink satellites are currently orbiting the Earth, with beta services presently available in Canada and the northern US.

Amazon

Amazon plans to launch Kuiper, a project in partnership with the Netherlands. The project aims to provide internet to tens of millions of people who lack access to basic broadband internet through the deployment of 3,236 satellites in a decade.

TeleSat

Canadian firm TeleSat has announced its plans to launch almost 1600 satellites in LEO to provide continuous data services over the ocean. The two sub-constellations are planned with 351 polar satellites and 1320 inclined satellites to cover the entire globe.

China

The Chinese government plans to construct large constellations of satellites under the “Digital Silk Road” (DSR) project. China and India are home to over half of the world’s population, many of whom have no connectivity. Some pay very expensive internet fees.

Whether it is CubeSats, SmallSats, or LEO satellites, the growing availability of commercially available space parts is allowing more companies to get into the space business. But to truly jumpstart these markets, commercial off-the-shelf costs (COTS) will have to come down for high-quality components. In an environment as harsh as space, electronics are easily destroyed by extreme temperatures and radiation. And due to expensive launch costs, devices and satellites sent up need to be “space-ready” and resilient to failure.

As technologies advance and more entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists collaborate to develop solutions, the space industry and internet of space will expand to provide new intelligence and insights from the farthest reaches of the galaxy.


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