Cloud-based cellular network provider Monogoto has signed a roaming agreement with non-terrestrial network (NTN) service operator Skylo Technologies to deliver NB-IoT satellite connectivity for asset tracking.

This agreement should lower the barrier for developers to add satellite connectivity to existing public and/or private networks already available on Monogoto’s cloud, delivering affordable and accessible NB-IoT satellite connectivity for asset tracking products.

In addition, Dutch low-power tracking and sensing provider Sodaq will launch an asset-tracking trial kit, using California-based Monogoto connectivity and network.

“Using Monogoto cloud, developers can now add satellite connectivity with a single API call, without worrying about expensive setup or training and for just a dollar per month,” said Monogoto CTO Maor Efrati. “The advent of satellite NB-IoT technology, coupled with the maturity of 5G and 3GPP standards, is game-changing for developers. For the first time, they can seamlessly connect their products, built for the regular cellular model, to satellite networks and add satellite coverage at a significantly lower cost.”

Efrati illustrated the potential of the Monogoto-Skylo-Sodaq offering by outlining a use case of a global logistics provider that was reliant upon cellular connectivity only to monitor driver behaviour and/or assets.

“Imagine the ability to add satellite connectivity when cellular or other networks are not available, giving developers the ultimate resiliency that devices will always be connected,” he said.

Eric DaVersa, vice-president at California-based Skylo Technologies, added: “Skylo is excited to partner with Monogoto as its wholesale NTN operator partner. The Monogoto focus on addressing the developer community where IoT is conceptualised is ideal for the rapid integration of terrestrial and satellite roaming. This offering will help fleets obtain ubiquitous connectivity, which is becoming essential for their businesses.”

And Jan Willem Smeenk, senior architect at Sodaq, said: “Having the possibility to use the same hardware for both terrestrial and satellite communication is a real breakthrough. We can now offer connectivity with our hardware in places where it was never possible before and we can still benefit from the great throughput of the terrestrial networks to, for instance, do software updates.”

The offering is expected to be available in the market in the latter half of 2023.

Monogoto offers easy-to-access, always-on 5G cloud for IoT connectivity and private LTE. As a connectivity-as-a-service cloud provider for public and private device connectivity, Monogoto’s rapidly expanding service boosts IoT innovation and growth by providing seamless, cost-effective device connectivity in a simplified and easily accessible way. Monogoto’s technology connects sensors and devices in over 180 countries, across 550 public and private 4G and 5G networks in multiple verticals, from agriculture to manufacturing, healthcare, fleet management, micro-mobility, retail and more.

Skylo Technologies is an NTN service provider based in Palo Alto, California, offering a service that allows cellular modems and devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo’s commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo works with existing satellite operators, terrestrial mobile network operators and device makers to provide subscribers with anywhere, anytime connectivity that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks.

Sodaq creates low-power sensing and tracking products and powers them with energy harvested from the environment. Since 2012 the company has been a pioneer in the field of creating autonomous devices using low-power wide area networking and energy harvesting.