Nordic Semiconductor, a global contributor in low power wireless connectivity solutions, has announced a step for NTN satellite communication: A successful chip-to-cloud communication using Nordic’s nRF9151 low power cellular IoT module via Sateliot’s LEO satellites to Nordic’s nRF Cloud – the company’s integrated platform for device management, embedded observability, and location services.
Breakthrough in Direct-to-Device satellite IoT communication
Sateliot is the first company demonstrating a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) 5G IoT satellite constellation acting as a cell tower in space with a seamless Direct-to-Device extension of terrestrial cellular networks.
The successful connection marks an advance in LEO satellite communications by promising an extension of the IoT to the most remote areas of the planet. It also verifies the robust capabilities and potential of Nordic’s low power cellular IoT technology in key real-world applications in industries like smart agriculture, asset tracking and smart metering.
“We are excited that together with Sateliot and Gatehouse Satcom we have achieved another major milestone in our satellite communication roadmap,” says Oyvind Birkenes, the EVP of long range BU at Nordic Semiconductor. “This successful test is a testament to Nordic’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of satellite communications.”
Collaboration across industry leaders
“This breakthrough in satellite IoT connectivity, achieved alongside Nordic Semiconductor and Sateliot, underscores the power of collaboration,” says Jesper Noer, the VP of commercial at Gatehouse Satcom. “We are excited to see our 5G NTN NB-IoT software play a key role in bringing reliable communication to even the remotest regions of the world.”
“Our objective is to enable true global IoT connectivity, outside the telecom operator coverage, and so affordable it can be used in a massive set of use cases.” comments Jaume Sanpera, the CEO and co-founder of Sateliot. “We are excited to partner up with Nordic Semiconductor to achieve such a democratisation of the connectivity by satellite”
Nordic commits to commercial rollout of satellite IoT solution
In addition to Nordic Semiconductor’s NTN GEO (Geostationary Orbit) solution, based on the nRF9151 module, Nordic is committed to delivering a commercial NTN LEO connectivity solution based on the same module – the lowest power cellular IoT solution available, with battery lifetime performance. A solution designed for use cases that can only afford the antenna cost and power consumption typically used for terrestrial connectivity, while offering data rates that exceed those experienced for NTN GEO. Such a solution provides additional support for a broad range of existing and new use cases.
With approximately 75% of Earth’s landmass lacking terrestrial cellular coverage, Nordic sees a significant commercial opportunity in enabling low power satellite-connected devices. Global, harmonised coverage has been the missing piece holding back large-scale adoption of IoT and M2M solutions. The Nordic nRF9151, will allow developers to build actual low power devices with satellite connectivity, accelerating deployments across industries such as smart agriculture, logistics and environmental monitoring.”
A cost-efficient alternative to private networks
The LEO NTN solution demonstrated by Nordic and its partners paves the way for globally connected, ultra-low power applications across industries including remote monitoring and control, global tracking and smart agriculture. With Nordic’s satellite connectivity solutions, accessing reliable communication services becomes more feasible and cost-effective, even in the most isolated parts of the world. Moreover, the technology provides businesses and communities in rural and remote locations a long-awaited efficient and secure alternative to building and maintaining private network infrastructure.
Availability
In the coming months, Nordic, Sateliot and Gatehouse Satcom will continue working to make the solution available for developers and companies looking to test and build commercial devices with NTN LEO connectivity.
The nRF9151 with NTN support is expected to have general availability from early 2026.
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