UK firm Lacuna Space is expanding its direct-to-device (D2D) IoT network with more satellite launches under its Call of the Wild banner.

The satellites feature Lacuna’s proprietary LoneWhisper payload, designed and built entirely in-house. It is optimised to receive small, infrequent messages from low-power devices and transmit them directly to orbit, enabling global coverage without the need for ground-based communication infrastructure.

“The demand for remote IoT connectivity is accelerating fast, and that’s what’s driving this next phase of growth,” said Rob Spurrett, Lacuna Space CEO. “We’ve already proven that our technology works where others simply can’t: in remote, infrastructure-free environments. Now we’re scaling to meet real-world demand. This mission marks a step-change from pilot projects to large-scale, operational deployments. With LoneWhisper, we’ve built the highest-capacity direct-to-device LoRa receiver in orbit, giving us the ability to support more devices, more reliably, than any other in the market. Our system is designed not just to reach remote places, but to scale across the globe.”

Water is among the most critical and least connected resources on the planet. Traditional monitoring often depends on manual sampling and site visits, making it expensive, inconsistent and impractical in remote or dispersed areas.

Lacuna’s D2D connectivity changes that. With low-power sensors transmitting data directly from the field, organisations can monitor water quality continuously, in real time, without relying on cellular networks or gateways.

Field deployments are already monitoring boreholes and wells for pH, turbidity and salinity, tracking salinity and runoff in agriculture, and detecting pollution in rivers and coastal zones. These sensors typically send only a few small messages per day, and often operate for years on one battery.

“From early flood warning systems and pollutant tracking to compliance monitoring for agriculture and industry, the demand for low-power, wide-area connectivity is only increasing,” said Clifford Shapland, digital development officer at Ceredigion County Council (www.ceredigion.gov.uk) in Wales. “Satellite IoT, as delivered by Lacuna Space, is uniquely positioned to meet this demand. The ability to capture consistent and accurate measurements in hard-to-reach areas has unlocked a new level of granular environmental insight. We see this use-case as effectively limitless in scale and duration. Wales alone has over 33,000km of rivers and streams, many of which pass through rural or isolated terrain.”

Lacuna Space was the first to fly Semtech’s high-capacity LoRa chipset back in 2019. Since then, the team has run multiple missions, completed detailed global spectrum surveys and fine-tuned the system. Whether it is tracking soil moisture for smart agriculture or monitoring water quality in remote regions, the system is built for dependable performance in tough environments.

“Lacuna Space is a prime example of UK innovation in satellite communications, addressing real-world needs,” said Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency). “Their low-power, direct-to-device connectivity brings the benefits of space down to Earth by enabling efficient and affordable IoT services, including monitoring of vital resources such as water infrastructure.”

The Call of the Wild satellites are the first of several missions launching this year. Together, they will expand Lacuna’s coverage and message throughput, strengthening its position in direct-to-orbit IoT for remote monitoring.

Water quality monitoring is just one example of how Lacuna’s network is being used to solve critical problems in hard-to-reach environments across the globe.

Headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK, Lacuna Space (www.lacuna.space) delivers D2D IoT connectivity using low-power protocols optimised for small, infrequent messages. Built on its proprietary LoneWhisper technology, Lacuna’s network supports remote sensors across agriculture, environment, utilities and the oceans, enabling global coverage with no ground infrastructure. Lacuna operates from offices in the UK and the Netherlands, with support from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency.