5G connectivity from space: Exolaunch contract with Sateliot for launch and deployment of LEO satellites
Overview and Backgrounder:
Exolaunch, a global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services, today announced a new launch and deployment services agreement with Sateliot [1.], which claims to be the first company to operate a low Earth orbit (LEO) 5G NB-IoT satellite constellation. It’s the first collaboration between the two companies.
Note 1. Sateliot is based in Barcelona, Spain and San Diego, CA. The start-up company is backed by strong investors such as Evonexus (investment arm of Qualcomm and Verizon among others), Banco Santander, CELLNEX and INDRA, and partners of the GSMA and the ESA (European Space Agency).
Sateliot claims to be a “trailblazer in facilitating connectivity for all current narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices via satellite through its constellation.”
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Image Credit: Sateliot
Sateliot is building a constellation of 250 unique satellites enabling 5G NB-IoT connectivity from space, revolutionizing connectivity solutions globally. Under the terms of this agreement, Sateliot is set to deploy four additional satellites to join its growing 5G IoT constellation, utilizing Exolaunch’s industry-leading services and hardware.
The constellation of LEO satellites will enable Sateliot to offer services at comparable costs to those of terrestrial cellular networks, a significant stride towards widespread adoption of IoT in previously inaccessible regions.
Sateliot’s four 6U satellites, named Sateliot_1, Sateliot_2, Sateliot_3, and Sateliot_4, are manifested via Exolaunch on the Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with SpaceX, which is slated to launch in mid-2024. Sateliot will benefit from Exolaunch’s renowned mission management services and integration support, and will leverage Exolaunch’s innovative and flight-proven containerized satellite separation system, the EXOpod Nova, for the deployment of its satellites.
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About Sateliot’s Technology:
Sateliot’s solution is based on 5G NB-IoT in 3GPP Rel 17 NTN (Non Terrestrial Network). The company says that is “a clear minimum workable solution under 5G ecosystem.” The claim “5G from space,” is based on the use of LEO satellites for connectivity- not HAPS or other NTN types.
While 3GPP Rel 19 (to be completed December 2025) will provide a complete solution, Sateliot says that is not needed now to offer a minimum workable solution, via 3GPP Rel 17 NTN. This minimum workable Rel 17 NTN solution is related to NB-IoT only, so, there is no need to wait for Rel 18 or Rel 19. Sateliot has already found a commercially available chipset and RF module from its main vendor.
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Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for Internet of Things (IoT) Phase 3:
With IoT-NTN specified in 3GPP RAN Rel-17, with optimizations following in Rel-18, commercial deployments are now ongoing. Now, further evolution of IoT-NTN is underway with a dedicated Rel-19 work item, focusing in on three areas:
- Support of Store & Forward (S&F) operation based on regenerative payload, including the support of feeder link switchover.
- Uplink capacity enhancements.
3GPP R19 is part of the 3GPP’s “5G Advanced” releases, which are intended to improve network performance and support new applications and use cases.
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Quotes:
“Partnering with Exolaunch marks a significant milestone for Sateliot as we continue our mission to revolutionize 5G IoT connectivity from space. With Exolaunch’s expertise and industry-leading services, we are confident in the successful launch and deployment of our next four satellites, further advancing our vision of ubiquitous IoT connectivity,” remarked Jaume Sanpera, chief executive officer at Sateliot.
“We are delighted to welcome Sateliot as our newest customer and partner,” said Pablo Lobo, mission manager at Exolaunch. “This agreement highlights Exolaunch’s dedication to facilitating the growth and success of innovative European companies like Sateliot. Exolaunch is proud to provide our industry-leading services and technology to support Sateliot’s vision of advancing 5G IoT connectivity from space. With the launch campaign underway, our team’s excitement for this mission is palpable and we look forward to a smooth and successful deployment of these satellites later this year.”
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References:
https://www.3gpp.org/news-events/3gpp-news/5g-ntn
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Thanks Alan for this article. It’s always a pleasure to read about how standard technology solutions can improve the world.
Just a few comments about 3GPP Rel 19 features:
– Store and Forward: Sateliot implemented and demonstrated store & forward based on Rel 14. What Rel 19 is bringing are performance improvements and features to create new services for delay tolerant IoT applications.
– Regenerative Payload: Rel 17 only consider transparent Payload but it was demonstrated that there is no impact on the protocol if we move the RAN to a satellite network using a regenerative payload. This is the case with Sateliot.
Thanks again for your article, it’s always a pleasure to read about how standard solution can improve the world.
Article identifies frequency bands used for NTNs:
https://www.qorvo.com/design-hub/blog/how-modern-leo-satellite-technologies-are-changing-the-space-race