Australian satellite IoT firm Myriota is working with the Saudi space authority to bring low-power IoT connectivity to the kingdom.

Myriota has expanded its low-power IoT connectivity into the Middle East as the only direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity service of the 21 companies in the latest cohort of the Saudi Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST, www.cst.gov.sa) emerging technologies regulatory sandbox.

The sandbox programme is part of CST’s mission to increase regulatory maturity, accelerate digital transformation, and support innovations in collaboration with global and national entities.

In partnership with CST, the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and system integrator Giza Systems, Myriota has deployed a cohort of connected smart water meters in remote locations on behalf of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture. The devices, which remain live in the field, are enabling remote monitoring of water meters that are in areas with limited or no cellular connectivity. Myriota joins an elite group of companies who have been successful in the programme, including Microsoft, Siemens and Tata Communications.

The company’s cost-effective low-power network is designed for the IoT industry, enabling applications such as logistics, utilities and agriculture to monitor and collect critical sensor data securely everywhere it is needed. Myriota’s customers are already tracking, locating and monitoring assets including water and fuel tanks, irrigation systems, heavy machinery, wind turbines, utility meters, and foot traffic in national parks.

“Demand for satellite-based communications networks is seeing an explosion globally, and we’re excited to be able to bring our service to Saudi Arabia,” said Ben Cade, CEO of Myriota. “This news shows that Myriota remains at the forefront of delivering a low-cost, low-power global IoT service, one that enables valuable data insights for our most critical industries and resources. We’re excited to begin expanding our partner and customer-base across the Middle East, helping those innovators to tackle truly difficult problems.

Late last year, Myriota announced a funding round (www.iotm2mcouncil.org/iot-library/news/iot-newsdesk/myriota-raises-50m-to-break-ground-with-iot) led by the Australian Federal government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) and venture capital partners Main Sequence with support from other investors including Inter Valley Ventures. The funding further enables Myriota in its mission to democratise satellite IoT access, delivering critical field-based monitoring to a global market.

Founded in 2015, Myriota (myriota.com) has a space-based network that delivers scalable, affordable IoT data services and energy-efficient hardware for sectors such as agriculture, logistics, water management and environmental conservation.