French communications company Tansatel and Spanish firm Sateliot have formed a partnership to deliver enhanced global cellular connectivity through satellite.

Transatel is a cellular connectivity provider servicing over 200 territories with a range from NB-IoT to 5G SA. Sateliot has a LEO (low Earth orbit) 5G IoT satellite constellation based on the 3GPP standard.

The alliance is designed to augment Transatel’s 200-plus territorial reach by integrating satellite NB-IoT connectivity, diversifying its already comprehensive suite of supported cellular technologies.

“Ever since its inception more than two decades ago, Transatel has consistently strived to transcend geographical limits,” said Jacques Bonifay, CEO of Transatel. “Our motto has always been forget borders, go global. While our cellular connectivity has indeed been vast, it was previously constrained by terrestrial networks, grounded in the terrestrial laws of physics. Today, I am immensely proud to present genuine global coverage, the merger of both terrestrial public networks, private terrestrial networks, and Sateliot’s avant-garde non-terrestrial cellular connectivity. There is no single spot on earth we cannot provide cellular connectivity to.”

Starting in 2024, Transatel will enhance its market offering by bundling its connectivity with Sateliot’s non-terrestrial NB-IoT, thereby delivering global connectivity.

Until now, connecting to satellite operators involved high costs because it required buying additional hardware, such as antennas and signal receivers. Sateliot is the first LEO satellite operator to leverage the 3GPP standard protocol, which is already the norm for any MNO or MVNO for their terrestrial cellular networks. This approach allows any connected IoT device to switch seamlessly to satellite when the cellular network is unavailable. Sateliot is easing the path by signing standard roaming agreements with the user’s current operators at a price similar to that of regular mobile networks and without the need for a second SIM card.

“Our goal is to provide connectivity to the IoT world everywhere and to everyone,” said Gianluca Redolfi, Sateliot’s CCO. “Why everywhere? Satellites are the only way to cover 85% of the world’s surface currently not reached by terrestrial cellular networks. Why everyone? Everyone should have access to it. This is why we work with a fully standardised approach; Sateliot’s NTN uses 5G standard technology providing an easy implementation and a low cost of ownership, which facilitates economies of scale and mass adoption of IoT. Hugely ground breaking for a wide range of industries.”

Sateliot (sateliot.space) and Transatel (www.transatel.com) aim to reduce the digital gap between developed and developing nations by providing global connectivity; countries won’t be constrained by a lack of resources, infrastructure or geographical limitations to access the internet, enabling hundreds of industries to flourish, boosting their economy.