Californian company Skylo is working with Inmarsat to enable a commercial NB-IoT over satellite service.

The start-up aims to connect machines in remote areas, across oceans and in dense metropolitan areas.

UK firm Inmarsat will provide the satellite capacity backbone to deliver its IoT services for connecting machines and sensors.

The agreement pairs Inmarsat’s global satellite network with a complete, easy-to-use IoT offering that provides even the most remotely located application users with real-time, actionable insights, helping improve efficiencies, increase profits, improve sustainability and save lives.

This is available now in India through in-country partner BSNL and expansion plans will be announced later this year.

“The most effective IoT requires a truly resilient and flexible network that can scale as demand grows,” said Rajeev Suri, Inmarsat CEO. “Inmarsat’s industry-leading L-band network provides a unique capability for enabling the billions of connected IoT devices in India and across the world that are being deployed at an extraordinary speed. We are delighted to work with Skylo to provide the IoT fabric that matches their ambition.”

Skylo CEO Parth Trivedi added: “Skylo makes simple, reliable IoT connectivity available to everyone at disruptively affordable rates. Even more attractive than a sharp increase in adoption due to low barrier-to-entry, is deploying critical new business capabilities as machine data become readily available and accessible. Our global IoT connectivity fabric makes way for thousands of life-changing applications, from managing vaccine efficacy during delivery, to advancing precision farming, to providing early warnings in the event of natural disasters. We look forward to expanding globally and making our platform available to small and large enterprises, companies deploying new sensors, systems integrators, distributors, governments and OEMs.”

Global connectivity is rapidly expanding beyond people to connect billions of machines and devices. Simultaneously, more operations are requiring increased always-available connectivity. Satellite IoT connectivity is changing the face of how smart things are connected, enabling real-time data transmission, and greater reliability and cost effectiveness, particularly where there is inconsistent or no cellular coverage.

Skylo helps its customers receive continuous coverage to send and receive critical two-way messaging and alerts, and continuously transmit valuable sensor data including location, soil moisture, soil pH and temperature.

Users benefit from continuous, real-time data transmission through the Skylo Hub, a small, rugged terminal hotspot that reads sensors and transmits data to Skylo’s satellite network. Inmarsat’s L-band network will form the backbone to the Skylo satellite network, improving reliability and uptime. Manageable through Skylo’s data platform, mobile or desktop, users are armed with the ability to take immediate and appropriate action to improve their businesses.

Inmarsat owns and operates mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band. The company has been operating its global mobile satellite telecommunications networks for more than 40 years.

Skylo Technologies brings always-on IoT connectivity to millions of machines, sensors and devices, even in the most remote places. Industries include farming, fishing, logistics and railways.