Satcom specialist ST Engineering iDirect has provided an IoT solution to ARSAT, the national telecommunications company of Argentina. ARSAT provides wholesale connectivity to bridge the digital divide between towns and cities across the country. It has identified the need for satellite-based IoT services in remote areas to support of and cloud technologies. Applications include farming, logistics, and fleet-tracking.

The IoT solution incorporates an IoT-optimised waveform and a cloud-based network management system. It incorporates technology from ST Engineering iDirect’s partner hiSky, a provider of satellite IoT networks. This will enable ARSAT to tackle a range of in-country challenges across vertical markets. The solution will allow collection of data from sensors on farms to monitor the status of soil moisture, livestock and farm vehicles.

IoT will also provide a tool for disaster recovery and mitigation. It will provide data on areas of concern such as rainfall and river levels or wildfire threats, deforestation, water scarcity, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Sensor data can be collected and transmitted using the IoT satcom systems for analysis.

Through IoT, ARSAT can adapt to provide solutions for other markets such as oil and gas, energy, mining, fleet management and construction.

ST Engineering iDirect partner Technology Bureau will support ARSAT integrate IoT into its existing ST Engineering iDirect hub infrastructure. ARSAT can take advantage of an IoT-optimised waveform, cloud-based network management and a family of lightweight terminals with integrated satellite modem and flat-panel antenna for mobility or fixed use cases. This reduces the complexities associated with creating an IoT platform, allowing ARSAT to quickly launch their service and capitalise on the IoT market opportunity.

“This new technology adds value to our fleet of geostationary satellites, ARSAT-1 and ARSAT-2, which were launched in 2014 and 2015 respectively,” said Guillermo Rus, Vice President, ARSAT. “We are currently carrying out tests of this innovative product with very good results and we hope to carry out the first implementations in the coming months. Among the use cases under evaluation are a hydrometeorological monitoring network, connectivity for research ships, marine buoys, and a monitoring system for the road network.”

“We are very pleased with this solution. We believe that this technology will enhance the capabilities of our satellite fleet,” said Facundo Leal, President and CEO, ARSAT. “As a public company, ARSAT has a social mission to provide technological solutions and contribute to the economic development of the country to generate added value. So for us, it´s very important that we are able to develop tools for the IoT market. This alliance is a great step in that direction.”

“ST Engineering iDirect’s IoT solution is a new technology that will enable ARSAT to give its customers excellent visibility of the network of devices utilised within their respective industry segments,” said Adrian Zamel, President, Technology Bureau USA Corp. “The online dashboard tailored to their specific needs, is centrally and securely controlled, and provides key data in an easy-to-use and actionable format that gives a country-wide picture, even from the most remote sites that are not connected via terrestrial means.”

“As we move towards a new, interconnected era in industry, we can see the plethora of opportunities that IoT can bring to the widest range of industries, businesses, and organisations,” commented Darren Ludington, Regional Vice President, Americas, ST Engineering iDirect. “ARSAT is a service provider that aims to stay ahead of the curve and provide its customers with advanced technologies. With our IoT solution, we are providing ARSAT with an easy-to-deploy, agile and flexible solution with which they can test the market and expand as and when they are ready to. We are excited to see the positive impact of our solution on ARSAT’s business and its end users.”

“We are happy to see hiSky’s unique satellite IoT technology being used within the Argentinian market,” said Shahar Kravitz, CEO and co-founder, hiSky. “We look forward to seeing the vast potential of our technology applied to the various IoT market verticals in need of over-satellite IoT connectivity.”