April 25 – SpaceX launched the world’s first 5G satellite in near-Earth orbit for Barcelona-based Sateliot in the middle of this month.
The satellite, called Sateliot_0, weighs around 10 kg and provides data relay services in near-Earth orbit, and is the first in the Sateliot_X satellite network. The satellite operator Sateliot wants to use the network of more than 250 5G satellites to enable worldwide IoT connectivity.
In a statement, Sateliot wrote: “This is the first time ever that terrestrial cellular communications facilities have been seamlessly integrated with satellite connectivity, and Sateliot is leading the revolution.” The company hopes to fill 85 per cent of the global mobile connectivity gap and envisions satellite networks in a number of sectors, including road, rail, air and maritime, with the potential to “impact the efficiency of hundreds of industries”.
Sateliot hopes to extend the communication range of connected devices by connecting the IoT to a cohesive network between terrestrial communication facilities and orbital data relays. The company says connected users can seamlessly switch from terrestrial cellular networks to non-terrestrial 5G satellite networks without the need to purchase any additional hardware such as antennas or modems. In addition, they can continue to use their existing SIM cards and mobile operators, thanks to the standard roaming protocols offered by Sateliot. This paves the way for large-scale global adoption of IoT.”
With the first satellites starting to operate in orbit, Sateliot’s sales have already exceeded $1.3 billion.
Giant satellite networks are being developed by companies or institutions around the world. In addition to SpaceX’s Starlink Internet satellites, online retailer and web services giant Amazon plans to launch its own satellite network, Project Kuiper, starting in 2024.
