Satellite IoT is exploding right now, with new entrants left, right and centre, and some huge names throwing their hats into the ring: Starlink for one, and Amazon’s Kuiper for another. This incredible proliferation of satellite network operators is driving innovation at an unprecedented speed, but there’s also a lot of hype. In this post, aimed at sensor manufacturers supporting the water and waste water industry, we’re going to explore what’s currently available, what’s coming soon, and what we think the next five to 10 years looks like – with some myth-busting along the way.

Satellite networks launched between 1965 and 2011

Satellite networks 1965 to 2011

This timeline shows the launch dates of the “old guard” of satellite network operators; and while they’re unquestionably well established, don’t take old as meaning redundant here. These companies have stood the test of time; their services are highly reliable, and they’ve repeatedly updated their networks over the decades. Between them they serve the gamut of satellite internet applications, from Iridium’s Short Burst Data, designed for tiny amounts of IoT data, through to Viasat’s broadband internet service with speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

Satellite networks launched between 2018 and 2024

Satellite networks 2018 to 2023-4

As mentioned, in recent years, more and more companies have started to build satellite networks; all are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and almost all are using what are called “SmallSats”. Here we’re using the term for any satellite weighing less than 180 kg and measuring between the size of a kitchen fridge and a Rubik’s cube. It’s this smaller size that has, in part, allowed for this growth – it’s much cheaper to put a SmallSat into Low Earth Orbit than it is to put a large satellite (over 1,000 kg) into Geostationary orbit.

Coupled with the trend for SmallSats and Low Earth Orbit, the other major reason for the increased number of new entrants is the lowered cost of putting satellites into space. From $85,000 per KG in the 1980s, to just $1,000 per KG in 2020 (source); for that you can largely thank SpaceX.

About satellite orbit heights

A quick explanation about the significance of orbit heights in satellite connectivity. Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (or LEO) are much closer to Earth than Geostationary satellites, which means that the time it takes to send data to the satellite and back to Earth is reduced – usually less than 1 second.

If you need real-time data transmission for your systems to operate smoothly, this is a welcome and necessary benefit. However, for this to be realized in practice, there needs to be a satellite overhead at the point at which you transmit; we’ll touch on the challenges new entrants have in this respect shortly.

GEO, LEO, MEO satellite orbit heights

What are the implications for water sensor manufacturers?

 

1. Lower cost

Firstly, cost: these networks cost less to establish, so the operators have less costs to recoup! That in turn has forced the established players to diversify their services to compete. This is great news as the relatively high cost of sending data over satellite previously made some use cases non-viable – but no longer. If you need to capture data from your remotely deployed sensors, cost is rarely, if ever, a prohibiting factor now.

Reservoir data extraction

Reservoirs

Water levels, precipitation, air and water temperature, relative humidity

Water pipeline sensor data backhaul

Pipelines

Leak detection, Third Party Intrusion, broken wires, storm water ingress

Water treatment plant sensor data backhaul

Treatment Plants

Water levels and flows, energy consumption, water quality, equipment status

2. Smaller antenna size

Secondly, antenna size and power. This has always been variable depending on the amount of data needing to be transmitted: a large amount needs a large antenna and a decent amount of power. Small amounts of sensor data, however, can be sent to satellites in Low Earth Orbit using absolutely tiny antennas such as the patch antenna included with the RockBLOCK 9603.

This connects to the Iridium network, which was one of the first LEO networks launched. This low-power-by-design modem can be powered by a battery for many years, and the same is true for many of the devices which connect to the new space entrants.

RockBLOCK 9603 with zoom on patch antenna

3. The convergence of satellite and 5G

The next step in the evolution of Satellite IoT is the convergence of cellular and satellite networks. The telecommunications industry is working on several ideas that will enable seamless data transfer between these networks. A key application of this convergence is to extend the reach of 5G which in comparison to its predecessors, provides limited coverage. If satellites can function as “cell towers” in space, it would unlock the full potential of 5G, providing global coverage from anywhere on the planet. 3GPP’s latest release – Release 17 – included technical specifications for direct-to-device 5G over satellite. This release also extended interoperability, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), and network slicing to support Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). Read more about 5G and satellite technology.

Things to be aware of

It’s not all good news, though. It takes time and money to build a reliable satellite constellation, and every one of the new entrants is still in the process of establishing their network – including Starlink and Swarm.

That means that you can suffer from high latency – i.e. there simply isn’t a satellite overhead for your device to send data to, so you will need to wait until there is. To give you a real-life example, if you connect your sensor to the Swarm network from North America, it can take from 2 minutes to 2 hours for your data to be intercepted by a satellite, and then delivered back to Earth. For Iridium, those parameters are 10 seconds to 15 minutes. And bear in mind Swarm (acquired by SpaceX in 2021) is one of the best established of the new entrants; newer and less well funded companies will have much longer delays.

Similarly coverage can be spotty; there is still only one satellite company that delivers 100% global coverage, and that’s Iridium. The established geostationary satellite operators usually have great coverage, and just miss out the polar regions.

The new networks also suffer from congestion: demand can outstrip supply, leading to failed transmissions and higher costs as data packets are re-sent; plus slower speeds when the network is busy. That’s plaguing Starlink right now – they’ll fix it, for sure, but just now it could be problematic.

However, if your instruments or sensors are within the coverage of one of these networks, and you can cope with receiving data once or twice a day, with the promise that this will speed up as they launch more satellites, then there is a huge amount of choice available to you, and the cost is really very low.

Our recommendations for water sensor satellite connectivity

For critical national infrastructure like water utilities, we continue to recommend established networks like Eutelsat, Iridium and Viasat with millions of subscribers, who’ve proven they can manage spikes in demand; who’ve got redundancy services baked in; who have very high levels of coverage and still benefit from very low latency.

Iridium-Logo

  • Low Earth Orbit
  • 100% global coverage
  • Network optimization and redundancy
Viasat Logo

  • Geostationary Orbit
  • 99.9% service availability
  • Merged with Inmarsat: huge scale
Eutelsat-Logo

  • Geostationary Orbit
  • 1,200 employees
  • 40 years experience

What about data security?

“Water utilities are the third most targeted sector for hackers in the United States”
– Journal of Environmental Engineering

Water terrorism is on the rise and is likely to get worse as clean, safe water becomes an increasingly scarce resource. In 2022, hackers claimed to have access to the SCADA data of Thames Water (oddly, while they thought they’d hacked Thames Water, they’d actually hacked South Staffordshire Water; and in neither case were they actually able to access SCADA systems).

The hackers claimed to have the ability to tamper with the safety of drinking water, a terrifying prospect for the general public (source). While this incident blew over with basically no harm done, there are state-sponsored cyber warfare units who will be vastly more capable, should they be tasked with targeting national infrastructure.

To be clear, sending your data via satellite isn’t risk-free. But it is much harder to intercept data going from a sensor to a satellite, then back to a ground station, than it is to intercept data that’s using public infrastructure like the internet. And if that ground station is physically on your premises – that’s an air-gapped solution that’s about as secure as data transfer gets. This private satellite network is called TSAT and we don’t know of any more secure way to transmit mission critical data.

Private satellite networks

And while TSAT represents the highest tier of security capabilities within satellite IoT, by default, satellite data traffic is relatively secure, meeting most military and government security standards.

Further, at Ground Control, we’ve built Cloudloop, a delivery network for Iridium and Viasat traffic, which allows us to have full control over our certified, cutting-edge data paths, while securely delivering traffic.

We built this because we wanted to deliver additional security for our customers’ data, and offer optional public static IPs and completely configurable firewalls to assist in securely moving your data from A to B.

To summarize: satellite IoT has transformed in the last five years: prices have come down, transceivers are smaller, power requirements have lessened, and security has improved. And with Amazon’s Kuiper satellite network scheduled for launch in 2024, the pace of change is not going to slow.

We’re here to help you make sense of all of this. We keep on top of all of these developments so we can make expert recommendations to you, and ensure that a system you implement today will remain viable 5, 10 or 15 years into the future.

Would you like to know more?

We partner with sensor / instrumentation manufacturers to deliver end to end solutions for water companies across the world. If you design and build sensors, we'd love to hear from you to talk about working together. If you're a water utilities company and looking for a connectivity bridge for your remote sites, we can help!

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Did you know that 81% of emergency managers have experienced communication failures during emergencies?

Whether a major incident is caused by a natural disaster, accident or malicious intent, first responders have to contend with a constantly evolving situation where priorities can change from minute to minute. Adding to the complexity is communication, which is made particularly challenging when multiple agencies need to communicate in order to respond effectively; when an incident takes place in a remote area, or if bandwidth gets constrained.

None of these issues are easy to resolve, but we’ve written this blog post to outline some potentially overlooked, affordable and easy-to-deploy solutions which can help tackle the three core issues of interoperability, network congestion, and coverage in remote areas.

1. Interoperability

“During incidents like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, cell phone towers were destroyed and overloaded, and first responders’ radios were incompatible, making life-saving communications almost nonexistent when they were needed most.” – United States Army

“The inability of responders from different departments and jurisdictions to communicate over their various radio systems during the event… was determined to have been a factor in the inability to evacuate 343 firefighters from the World Trade Center buildings, who all perished as a result.” – Dereck Orr, NIST

Why were the radios incompatible? Because public safety departments across the US are free to choose their own radio systems from different manufacturers, which sometimes operate on different radio bands. But forced standardization of radio systems isn’t the answer, as allowing agencies to select their providers encourages competition, driving innovation and lowering costs.

Two options present themselves: firstly, using an “interoperability gateway” otherwise known as a crossband repeater – technology designed to transmit and receive on different parts of the radio spectrum. These devices can be quickly deployed to allow agencies using different radio systems to talk to each other, in addition to other frequently used devices like satellite phones and VoIP desk phones.

Secondly, using Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) enabled devices. This is a newly developed protocol that several telecommunication companies are building into their applications, including Ericsson, Qualcomm, ESChat and Motarola. If you’re using software built to the MCPTT specification, irrespective of the network or handset being used, you can communicate with other agencies using MCPTT. Currently this technology isn’t interoperable with LMR, but this is a known requirement that’s being worked on (source).

2. Network congestion

For people caught up in an emergency, it’s a natural reaction to try and reach friends and family, but this can, and frequently does, lead to network congestion. And that can have catastrophic consequences for emergency responders and the people they’re trying to save.

Cognizant of this, two communications companies took the initiative to create networks exclusively for the use of first responders: AT&T’s FirstNet, and Verizon’s Frontline. Both provide a choice of different phones, tablets, laptops and routers compatible with the service, and cover up to 2.71 million square miles. This helpful article provides a more detailed comparison and pricing.

It’s not a perfect solution: users of FirstNet have reported poor signal coverage, while users of Frontline report frustration with saturated networks. One workaround is to use an app like ESChat, which supports multiple terrestrial networks, but also offers a satellite option, Iridium Certus, which provides 100% global coverage. That’s a highly valuable failsafe if cell phone towers are damaged or congested, or terrestrial infrastructure is wilfully targeted, as was seen at the Nashville bombing in 2020.

ESChat partnered with Thales to make this satellite solution available. If you’re a first responder with a MissionLINK 200, MissionLINK 700 or MCD-MissionLINK device, or its maritime equivalent, the VesseLINK 200 or VesseLINK 700 (the differences are the data speeds available), you’ll be able to subscribe to the ESChat service and benefit from low-latency PTT from your smartphone or tablet.

Satellite systems in general are a great failsafe should terrestrial networks be damaged, destroyed or overloaded; and the proliferation of new satellite constellations over the last few years has created more choice and lower prices for users.

Do satellite networks suffer from network congestion too?

As satellite grows in popularity thanks to companies like Starlink, congestion on satellite networks needs to be considered. Like terrestrial networks, some satellite network operators provide dedicated bandwidth for emergency response traffic, whereas with others, you’re sharing the network with commercial users. Starlink for example has grown its user base so quickly that the demand is outpacing the capacity of the network, causing speeds to slow right down when many customers try to connect at the same time.

The best advice is to do your research, and ideally speak to someone who understands the satellite industry very well before deciding on a satellite partner.

3. Coverage in remote areas

While FirstNet and Frontline cover 77% of the landmass of the United States, that still leaves 800,000 square miles where there is no cellular coverage. These dead zones are naturally removed from population centers but are no less at risk from wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides or flooding, which can cause huge damage to critical infrastructure like oil, gas and water utilities, plus farms, forestry and mining operations.

Sending emergency responders into areas like this presents a new set of challenges around communication, as neither cellular nor radio networks are likely to be consistently available. Satellite systems perform highly effectively in these circumstances, providing instant infrastructure that’s independent of terrestrial networks.

Portable, battery-operated devices like the MCD-4800 “The Football” or the MCD-MissionLINK create a WiFi hotspot of up to 1,000ft, providing broadband internet for up to 12 connected devices.

This delivers reliable access to email, text messages, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and mapping. It enables the tracking of manpower and equipment, and access to GIS data; as well as the ability to upload drone data and to monitor local TV news coverage.

Even a simple handheld device like the RockSTAR can save lives. This highly ruggedized equipment provides real-time tracking of your personnel, and can transmit IoT data such as their temperature and heart-rate.

Two-way text messaging is possible both via the device and via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone, and there are alert features if the device is dropped, or the person moves out of a pre-agreed trajectory.

MCD-4800-BGAN-Terminal-in-Use

Effective communication during major incidents is a tough nut to crack, but the technology exists today to overcome interoperability challenges, and the emerging MCPTT protocol holds great promise to banish this issue altogether. But it remains important to have options, like satellite, that don’t rely on terrestrial infrastructure. Terrestrial infrastructure – including that which supports LMR – will always be the default, but that makes it a high priority target for terrorist attacks. Plus, it remains vulnerable to natural disasters, and is absent from 23% of the US’ landmass.

Objective, expert advice

Ground Control is a satellite communications expert, having supplied emergency responders with solutions for over 20 years.

We work with multiple satellite network operators and partner with companies like Thales, Hughes, Cobham and Starlink to make sure you get the best possible solution for your circumstances. We’re here to help with objective, expert advice when you need it.

Satellite communications have revolutionized the way police forces operate. Not only has satellite communication technology transformed the reach, reliability and robustness of global connectivity, but it has also provided law enforcement agencies with a powerful tool to enhance their capabilities and improve citizen safety.

In this blog post, we will explore the crucial role and key benefits of satellite-based communication in modern policing and law enforcement practices.

5 benefits of satellite communication for modern policing

1. Seamless connectivity

Satellite communications have the unrivaled ability to establish connectivity even in the world’s most remote and underserved areas. Traditional terrestrial communication networks are often unable to provide reliable coverage in rural regions, national parks, or disaster-stricken areas.

Unlike traditional terrestrial communication systems that often suffer from limitations such as range restrictions, network congestion, and vulnerability to natural disasters or deliberate disruptions, satellite provides a reliable and resilient communication infrastructure that can overcome these challenges. This capability enables law enforcement personnel to remain connected, allowing them to communicate and access critical information, regardless of location.

2. Rapid deployment and flexibility

Satellite communication systems offer rapid deployment capabilities, making them ideal for law enforcement operations that require immediate connectivity. Whether it’s establishing a temporary policing command post, setting up communication networks in disaster-stricken areas, or deploying resources to remote locations, satellite solutions can provide the required flexibility.

A mobile VSAT system could be mounted on the ground, on top of a vehicle, truck, trailer, or even transported in the back of an SUV. Deployment is rapid and suitable for any location – providing a robust, high-speed internet and communications solution. Police forces can subsequently reliably achieve quick, uninterrupted connectivity and operational effectiveness in dynamic and evolving situations.

3. Improved inter-agency collaboration

US law enforcement agencies need to collaborate with multiple agencies during joint policing operations, cross-border investigations, and when combining interagency task forces. Satellite communications enable the facilitation of seamless, secure communication and data sharing between these different agencies, regardless of their geographical location.

In rural areas, satellite-based connectivity can be the only way to achieve this as traditional communication systems like cellular and LMR are typically, much more limited. Satellite enabled messaging devices support rural-based police officers by providing reliable tracking and messaging anywhere in the world, powering collaboration across multiple regions, enhancing policing coordination, and strengthening the overall effectiveness of law enforcement efforts.

4. Real-time surveillance and intelligence gathering

Real-time surveillance monitors high-risk areas, tracks suspects, and shares data with other police forces and agencies for more coordinated operations and successful crime combating. Satellites equipped with high-resolution imaging sensors can provide real-time or near-real-time imagery of vast areas, enabling law enforcement agencies to monitor critical locations, track multiple suspects, or identify potential threats to life. This advanced surveillance capability helps to serve better public safety in the US and the world.

5. Coordinated disaster management and emergency response

During natural disasters, satellite communications play a crucial role in maintaining communication lines when terrestrial infrastructure is damaged, overloaded, or otherwise fails. When this happens, satellite serves as a lifeline for law enforcement agencies to coordinate response efforts, share critical information, and request additional resources. Furthermore, satellite connectivity enables mobile command centers to be established quickly so police can set up communication hubs out in the field during emergency and critical situations. This enables efficient coordination, resource allocation, and decision-making in real time. In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, police and the FBI relied on satellites as cellphones were unreliable in the bombing aftermath.

Powering Policing with Satellite Communication Solutions

MCD-4800

For seamless connectivity in policing operations, the MCD-4800 provides instant infrastructure independent of terrestrial networks. Within a minute the MCD-4800 becomes a powerful WiFi hotspot accessible by any wireless device within a 300ft range for up to 5 hours on internal battery power alone. This capability enables law enforcement personnel to remain connected, allowing them to communicate and access critical information, regardless of location.

MCD-4800 – “The Football”

Toughsat Flyaway

The Toughsat Flyaway is designed to mount in all locations where a mobile VSAT system could be mounted, such as on the ground, on top of a vehicle, truck, trailer, or even transported in the back of an SUV. Deployment is rapid and suitable for any location - providing a robust, high-speed internet and communications solution. Police forces benefit from reliable connectivity and operational effectiveness in dynamic and evolving situations.

Toughsat Flyaway

RockSTAR

RockSTAR is a handheld tracking and messaging device which transmits from anywhere in the world. Ruggedized, and with an astonishing 12 month battery life. RockSTAR makes sure that officers' location is monitored, with alerts if the device is dropped, or moves out of the intended route / location. It can also transmit wearables' data such as heart rate and blood pressure, making it a valuable health and safety addition for remote policing.

RockSTAR Handheld Tracker

RockREMOTE

RockREMOTE is an IoT device utilizing the Iridium Certus network; this means it's cost-effective to send relatively large amounts of IoT data, including compressed images. Forces around the world use RockREMOTE as part of camera traps, remote security checks and alarm systems. It's also deployed on unmanned vehicles, including drones, to allow commands to be sent, and data received, from wherever the vehicle travels.

RockREMOTE Rugged

MCD-MissionLINK

The MCD-MissionLINK is a portable, easy-to-operate satellite terminal which provides a powerful Wi-Fi hotspot (up to 1,000 feet), providing satellite broadband for up to 12 devices. This device differs from the MCD-4800 in three key areas: it doesn't require pointing, so may work better in forested or mountainous areas; it delivers faster internet speeds, and it will work anywhere on the globe, including the polar regions.

MCD-MissionLINK

Closing thoughts…

Satellite communication technology offers numerous benefits to law enforcement agencies. From seamless connectivity in remote areas to enhanced surveillance capabilities, satellite technology has become an invaluable tool for improving operational efficiency and public safety. The ability to establish reliable communication during emergencies, support inter-agency collaboration, and provide global reach strengthens the overall effectiveness of law enforcement efforts all over the world.

By harnessing the power of satellite communications, law enforcement and policing agencies can adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of modern crime and ensure safer and more secure communities. As satellite grows in popularity, so too do the service options, and the competitiveness of the pricing. It’s anticipated that in the next few years, satellite and cellular networks will effectively merge, which will open up more possibilities to support policing and law enforcers.

Harness the Power of Satellite Communications

Satellite communication technology transformed what law enforcement agencies and police forces can achieve to enhance crime combating capabilities and improve citizen safety. See what Ground Control can achieve for you, your teams and your agency.

Contact us today. We'll be able to help and offer impartial advice on the best solutions to improve your operational and connectivity challenges.

The World Economic Forum’s IoT Guidelines for Sustainability report states that 84% of IoT deployments are addressing, or have the potential to address, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. These SDGs include combating climate change, sustainable production patterns and ensuring availability of clean water.

But as the report points out, “No services are possible without the infrastructure in place. Particularly in the case of IoT, at some point in the future revenues may come from the services associated with data, but without addressing the infrastructure solutions first, that day is still far away.”

In this post, we’re exploring challenges that are preventing the roll-out of IoT solutions in the areas that need it most, and offering some ideas to resolve these issues. It’s not a fully comprehensive list of challenges. We’ve left out the issue of national and municipal government buy-in, and conflict / war zones, as while they’re unquestionably barriers, we’re realistic about the ability of a blog post to provide a practical solution to them!

The two barriers to IoT infrastructure we’re addressing are affordability and geography.

Where in the world is the lack of IoT infrastructure most acute?

Map showing internet access by region

This graphic illustrates the impact of the digital divide. This relates to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology, and those that don’t. The statistics are shocking: 43% of Africans can use the internet, compared to 93% of Americans and 88% of Europeans. Even in more developed regions like the Americas, four out of 10 Latin Americans in rural areas have no way to connect to the internet (source) – because terrestrial networks are prohibitively expensive to set up in non-densely populated areas.

And the digital divide doesn’t only affect individuals’ access to the internet. The lack of infrastructure also means businesses and governments can’t deliver the benefits of IoT connectivity: improvements in energy efficiency; healthcare outcomes; public safety; environmental monitoring; transport planning; agriculture sustainability – the list goes on.

As just mentioned, the main reason for this is that cellular networks rely on a dense network of base stations and antennas to provide coverage, which is expensive and challenging to deploy, and there’s limited financial incentive for the private sector to support this outside of urban areas.

Results-from-Cornell-University-LoRaWAN-project

One proposed solution to the IoT connectivity challenge is to create coverage through LPWAN technology. A group of academics in the United States received funding for just such a project in 2021, with the goal of enabling small communities in upstate New York to benefit from IoT applications including remote meter readings for utility firms; traffic monitoring; real-time road and flood monitoring; crop and livestock monitoring for farmers, and building management.

Early returns for the latter indicated energy cost savings of between 15-30%; great news for the bill payer and the environment alike (source).

While there’s a lot to recommend this, there are a couple of additional considerations: firstly, the gateway that controls the network and aggregates the data from the nodes needs to be able to connect to the cloud, and for that it needs another means of connectivity. If you can position your gateway within cellular coverage, adding a cellular modem to your gateway will resolve this challenge. If you are out of cell tower range, a satellite modem such as Ground Control’s RockREMOTE will have the same effect.

The second consideration is mobility: neither of the two most popular LPWAN technologies – NB-IoT and LoRaWAN – were intended for mobile applications such as fleet monitoring or animal tracking. LoRaWAN can be used to connect moving sensors, but there’s a greater risk of transmission interference as a result of signal collision if a large number of nodes are connected (read more). This has an associated effect of increasing the energy consumption as packets are retransmitted, and changes in device location sometimes resulting in a higher spreading factor (SF).

To solve the mobility issue in areas with no terrestrial infrastructure, you may want to explore satellite transceivers, but be sure to look for devices with omni-directional antennas with no requirement to ‘point’ them at the satellite network overhead. The tiny RockBLOCK 9603, which transmits very small packets over the Iridium network, is ideal for sensor data transmission from animal tracking collars, UAVs, and drifting data buoys. If you need to send and receive higher volumes of data, something like the RockREMOTE Rugged works well for heavy machinery monitoring and control, including autonomous tractors and mobile generators.

But isn’t satellite IoT prohibitively expensive?

Satellite IoT has experienced a huge growth in demand and service providers as – largely thanks to Space X – the cost of launching a satellite has decreased from $85K per KG in the 80s to just $1K per KG in 2020 (source). This means plenty of competition and service diversification, which has driven down costs. As an example of this, a customer of ours, Synnefa, facilitates remote farming for smallholders in Kenya.

By providing them with accurate, real-time data on soil moisture, temperature, nutrient levels in the soil, and light intensity, Synnefa enables these remote farmers to optimise productivity while reducing waste, and it’s working:

  • 50% Water savings
  • 41% reduction in fertiliser usage
  • 30% increased production.

Synnefa uses terrestrial connectivity where available, and Kenya is better connected than much of Africa, but as the map shows, there are huge swathes of agricultural land that have no access to cellular networks. So the Synnefa team ship their FarmShield device with a RockBLOCK 9602; if the sensor is out of terrestrial communication range, it can use satellites to send data.

Connectivity-map-of-Kenya

But the critical point here is that Synnefa charge their customers no more for cellular than they do for satellite; there is a difference in cost to Synnefa, but it’s not so significant that they have to pass it on. Synnefa’s customers can benefit from more sustainable and productive farming wherever their farm is located.

Satellite connectivity continues to get more affordable, and we’re excited to watch the progress of SatelioT who are in the process of launching nanosatellites into Low Earth Orbit just 500 KM above us; that’s so close they don’t even need an antenna to create terrestrial connectivity. The purpose of these nanosatellites is to act as telephone towers in space, extending the reach of 5G NB-IoT connectivity to basically anywhere on Earth. So in principle, and hopefully soon in practice, you’ll be able to connect your IoT device to this Non-Terrestrial-Network (NTN) without needing an additional transceiver or antenna. This would be a huge step forwards for isolated communities, and with no new hardware needed, would greatly speed up the introduction of remote monitoring applications.

As with all of these newer entrants, including Swarm (now owned by SpaceX), who’s probably the best known of the nanosatellite manufacturers, it’s worth noting that for at least the next 2-3 years, the frequency with which your device will be able to send and receive data will be much slower than established satellite constellations like Iridium or Inmarsat. This is because there are simply fewer satellites overhead, so you’ll need to wait longer before your device signal is picked up. And you’ll also need to check if the region you’re aiming to connect is covered by an orbiting satellite, as few satellite operators have truly global coverage. But if you have coverage, and your application can manage with store-and-forward delivery, these are low cost options that may hold the key to unlocking some missing infrastructure and financing challenges.

IoT can help combat climate change – but climate change is making it harder to create IoT infrastructure

Another barrier to leveraging IoT for sustainable development is the increased frequency, duration and magnitude of extreme events, including droughts, flooding and extreme heat. And the countries most likely to be affected by these conditions are often the countries with the least ability to adapt. Projections indicate that Sub-Saharan Africa will bear the brunt of climate change impacts on food security, due to its reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Projects such as solar irrigation, rainwater harvesting and irrigation systems will be essential to enhance water availability, but their efficacy is limited without sensors.

Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the most limited terrestrial network coverage in the world

Knowing what resources you have, where they are, and where and when they’re most needed is fundamental to the successful deployment of smart irrigation technology. You can send someone to gather and report sensor data, or you can utilise IoT to get real-time data, and vastly speed up your reaction time to new data, while better modelling future needs. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, has some of the most limited terrestrial network coverage in the world. Connecting Africa reports that 47% of the world’s uncovered population is in SSA (source).

Further, terrestrial networks where they do exist are susceptible to natural disasters; flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes and ensuing landslides can create power outages and damage cell towers; fibre ducts can become waterlogged; repairs can be delayed due to road damage. In 2022, 1,200 cell towers were impacted in South Africa alone due to a prolonged spell of heavy rain and the ensuing flooding and landslides (source). In developing countries, infrastructure such as the electricity grid and piped water are often the responsibility of county-level or national government, and it can take years before damage is rectified. One study in Kenya found that 62% of electrical grid failures caused by floods were never repaired (read more). This presents massive challenges for IoT deployment that relies on terrestrial communication networks like BLE, WiFi and Cellular.

So, we turn again to the twin options of LPWAN – specifically LoRaWAN here, because of its independence from 4G / 5G cellular tower infrastructure – and satellite; sometimes deployed separately but often combined to provide low cost coverage over a wide area, with no dependency on terrestrial networks for data backhaul.

Connecting sensors with gateways and satellite transceivers

Neither of these options are immune to damage but they are more resilient. LoRaWAN gateways are, of course, much smaller than cell towers, and the signal is largely unaffected by wind and rain. They’re available in IP68 rated enclosures with automated leak detection and remote configuration options – essential if you’re not going to be able to reach the device for long periods of time.

Similarly, satellite transceivers are often built into highly ruggedised enclosures, or are shipped with such enclosures. Some are solar powered; others will work off a single battery for years. Devices like the RockREMOTE Rugged also support Over The Air (OTA) device configuration. Paired with a sensor array or data logger, you’ve got a IoT solution that is highly resilient against adverse weather, as the transmission is going to, or being received from, satellites orbiting far above the Earth (some not as far as they used to be, but still well out of trouble!). The ground stations used by satellite network operators are carefully chosen for their stability and security; it’s why satellite connectivity is so often deployed in emergency situations, when terrestrial networks have failed.

RWE-Hydrology-Weather-Station

Leading renewable energy provider RWE has installed hydrology stations which monitor water levels, precipitation, air and water temperatures, and relative humidity, to detect excess rainfall in remote parts of Wales, UK. These hydrology stations are located at hydroelectric power stations; reservoirs which pipe water through turbines to supply renewable energy to the grid.

If there’s excessive rainfall, the operators can push more water through the turbines, which provides more green energy; and there’s a huge added benefit in that this also greatly reduces the chances of localised flooding, as the reservoir’s capacity to absorb more water grows.

In the complete absence of cell towers – this being a particularly beautiful and remote part of the UK – these hydrology stations use satellite connectivity, in this case Viasat IoT Pro, to transmit the data in real-time back to the operations centre. The cost is managed through edge computing, which allows the frequency of transmission to be increased to every 15 minutes if data falls outside of normal parameters, but is usually set to transmit every 3 hours.

In summary, the places that would benefit the most from IoT to help with sustainable development goals are often the places most under-served by terrestrial networks – because it’s too difficult, too expensive, or too risky to install them. Outside of urban areas, coverage in Africa, Asia and Oceania is extremely limited, and yet these regions are some of the most at-risk from rising sea levels, drought, flooding and other extreme weather conditions.

In order to bridge the digital divide, we need to look to low cost, resilient and easy to deploy connectivity solutions. Some are available today – LoRaWAN and satellite IoT, both combined and independent of each other, are entirely viable options. And it’s very exciting to see what’s coming in the next few years from innovations which will bring satellite and cellular networks together.

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If you have an IoT project with connectivity challenges, you're absolutely in the right place to get expert help. Call or email us, or complete the form and we'll be happy to talk through your options.

We design and build our own satellite transceivers, and also work with trusted third parties to offer a wide range of connectivity options and airtime partners.
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According to a recent poll by Gallop, one-third of Americans have faced extreme weather including hurricanes and blizzards, in recent years. In many respects, it’s surprising this figure isn’t higher. The United Nations (UN) reported a 153% increase in the number of extreme weather events in the last 20 years. And it’s clear the US has been significantly impacted, with 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2021 alone.

NOAA is – fortunately – projecting an average hurricane season in 2023, due to the dampening effect of El Nino, but equally the Atlantic is unusually warm, which could counteract this effect. Of course even a below-average hurricane season can be deadly. And while the West Coast might be spared hurricanes, it’s increasingly vulnerable to wildfires. The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook projects a higher risk than normal for large stretches of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Montana (California’s snowpack may spare it the worst of the 2023 wildfires). Meanwhile, Canada’s wildfires are making global headlines, with millions of Canadians and Americans affected.

Given the significant impact just one of these events can have, we want to highlight why connectivity is so important during the emergency response.
 

Why is connectivity essential during an emergency response?

First responders don’t know what situation they’re stepping into. To ensure organizations can manage their response, safeguard their personnel and rapidly disseminate information to other relevant agencies and teams on the ground, connectivity certainty and thus communication certainty, is essential. Included below are some of the most common use cases our First Responder customers require and utilize our connectivity solutions for:

  • Mapping and GPS data
  • Access to GIS data – essential data regarding property and ownership, and MSDS sheets – delivering potentially life-saving information on material safety.
  • Personnel and equipment tracking. Tracking the real-time location of every personnel member on the ground, in addition to equipment and assets, including emergency vehicles and helicopters, can all save invaluable time.
  • Communication, including via the Red Phone Emergency Responder Voice Network. Enabling organizations and personnel to communicate via voice, email or even radio, with one another and with the Command Center, and disseminate information to other relevant Public Safety agencies.
  • Monitor local news coverage. Making certain teams aren’t missing anything news outlets may have picked up on.
  • Report and document response and progress. For example, the progress of a wildfire.
  • Drone video backhaul. Utilizing connectivity to control and live stream video via drones to provide real-time information to those on the ground.

 

Mobile Satellite Internet for First Responders

Since satellite services connect with an orbiting satellite at least 550km above the Earth’s surface, they are not affected by cellular dead-zones or terrestrial infrastructure failure (temporary or otherwise), meaning satellite can deliver connectivity certainty.

Based on our 20 years’ experience working with corporations and public agencies, we know that not everyone will have a backup plan in place which caters for a situation without terrestrial connectivity. We’re well versed in the typical hurricane narrative: hurricane season begins, storms begin to form out at sea, concerned organizations begin to call us for information and lead times on satellite communication hardware… then storms pass or die out and all is forgotten. Or, as is more often the case in recent years, the aforementioned storms continue.

In all cases, the Ground Control team work as hard as possible to ensure agencies have confirmed delivery of the required, satellite-enabled equipment prior to any hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or other extreme weather event. But there are occasions, particularly when there has been a larger scale disaster, where shipping may be delayed or temporarily suspended, or even scaling hardware to meet demand is a challenge. As the number and severity of extreme weather events is increasing, we want to ensure all organizations can confidently mitigate risk, whatever the situation.

Professional Grade Mobile Internet

Introducing The Toughsat

Our Toughsat products are often used by emergency services that need a quick and portable VSAT antenna for both high-speed internet and VoIP phone services for on-site personnel.

Toughsat XP is Ground Control’s flagship professional series mobile satellite system, incorporating the best of our experience into a complete system. At the click of a button, the solution provides the speeds and bandwidth needed for robust Internet and communications, making it the perfect in-field communications solution.

The Toughsat XP delivers connectivity for up to 256 wireless capable devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops or VoIP phones. Your team can be online in minutes, with 20 Mbps x 5 Mbps broadband internet speeds, worldwide. What’s more, the powerful broadband WiFi hotspot operates even in extreme weather conditions.

Ground Control’s emergency communications satellite equipment meets or complies with all SAFECOM requirements for emergency interoperable communication equipment. The Toughsat is also the only VSAT antenna listed by make and model in the US FEMA Cache list.

Comparing the Toughsat to a Starlink Device

Both the Toughsat (which utilizes the iDirect satellite airtime service – see special rates for first responders) and Starlink provide emergency responders with high speed, low latency internet access from anywhere with a clear view of the sky – there’s no dependency on terrestrial networks.

Both physical devices are ruggedized, and will stand up to a wide range of weather conditions, from extreme cold and heat to heavy rain and gale force winds. Neither the Toughsat nor the Standard Starlink is intended for use in-motion (if you have a requirement for high-speed internet while in-motion, we would recommend the Kymeta u8 or the MissionLINK 700).

Starlink devices are often low cost in comparison to other satellite internet hardware. Starlink doesn’t invite other manufacturers to build hardware to connect to the Starlink satellite constellation, and its intentionally disruptive business model is to sell directly to members of the public, undercutting incumbents like HughesNet and Viasat.

However, that last point provides a segue to a potential drawback of the Starlink service: it is extremely popular, and can be prone to network congestion. “The demand for Starlink service is outpacing the capacity of the network” according to Starlinkhardware.com, further noting that “you may notice your speeds slow way down… caused by too many Starlink customers trying to connect at the same time.”

For Emergency Responders this is a key potential risk to be aware of when deciding on your portable satellite solution. Other solutions – Toughsat among them – have dedicated airtime for emergency responders, guaranteeing reliable internet speeds irrespective of how much other traffic is utilizing the network. They cost more, but don’t face the network congestion challenges of Starlink.

Get in touch

If you'd like to know more, and discuss your requirements, please get in touch. We have 20 years' of experience and have served hundreds of emergency responders in that time. We design and build our own hardware, but we also partner with other leading manufacturers to make sure we have the best option for your needs.

Disasters can affect any area of North America and are most commonly the result of weather-related and geological events. Disasters include everything from wildfires to hurricanes, tornados to floods, earthquakes to dam failures. In 2023, the volume and severity of hurricanes is projected to be ‘normal’ by NOAA, but wildfires are expected to be above average (indeed an area larger than the Netherlands has already burned this year in Canada – that’s more than 5 million hectares).

A single disaster’s impact can significantly vary. From localized to widespread, predictable to unpredictable. That said, FEMA highlights that, as natural hazards are usually more predictable, it’s possible to identify which areas within the US may be most vulnerable to certain types of natural hazards. In addition, as each hazard has both unique characteristics and common elements, the combination of this knowledge enables agencies and organizations to better prepare and respond to natural disasters.

FEMA categorises disasters as recurring events with four phases: 1. Mitigation, 2. Preparedness, 3. Response, and 4. Recovery. The below diagram briefly describes each phase and illustrates the relationship of these four phases within emergency management.

Diagram illustrating relationship between the four phases of emergency management as outlined by FEMA

At Ground Control, we have 20 years experience working alongside First Responders and Emergency Personnel. While each situation and/or disaster is unique, there is consistency when it comes to exactly how satellite technology can support and aid teams within each phase.

Mitigation & Preparation – Utilizing IoT

The explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to revolutionize our world, and the first response sector is no exception to this. In recent years, the number of IoT applications to save human life, no matter how remote the disaster, has exponentially increased. Just a couple of examples include digitally connected gear with built-in sensors that measure air quality, toxins and motion, and protective clothing which continuously monitor vital signs.

Ground Control recently partnered with American Signal Corporation to deliver a Tsunami early warning system, in which the RockBLOCK Plus is utilized as their satellite transceiver. Although this type of technology is more common in larger organizations, we have also had customers successfully create an off-grid fire prevention system utilizing the monitoring capabilities of the RockBLOCK.

Response – Communication Certainty

The vast majority of our First Responder customers acquire our systems for use during emergency response. Generally speaking, our solutions revolve around ensuring teams on the ground have communication and connectivity certainty.

In a crisis, lack of or delayed situational awareness can cost lives, and often, mobility can prove a significant barrier. With SOTM “Satcom-on-the-Move”, teams can stay reliably connected with one another and their Command Center. Utilizing both portable and mobile connectivity solutions, teams can benefit from an almost instant, reliable 300-1000 ft WiFi hotspot. Meaning they can stay connected, even while surveying surroundings and interacting with the community.

In addition, personnel tracking devices such as the RockSTAR can ensure that the location of all personnel is accurately and reliably tracked, in real-time, with zero reliance on terrestrial connectivity. And push-to-talk devices and satellite phones ensure voice communications are achievable, no matter the circumstances. Additionally, features such as talk groups can further support team communications.

Recovery – Supporting Public Safety

First Responders’ main concern will always be public safety in the immediate crisis. However, the recovery phase is crucial. Following the mass destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, 900 VSAT terminals were deployed at sites around the affected region and critical locations including San Juan Airport.

Enabling wi-fi and communications means First Responders on the ground can continue to effectively communicate, and civilians are able to contact loved ones and make appropriate arrangements during the recovery phase.

At Ground Control, we help First Responders and public safety organizations and agencies prepare, providing teams with equipment they need to ensure more successful missions. Reliable communications and connectivity, allow emergency personnel to more safely focus on the task at hand. If you’d like talk to one our experienced team about how you can better support your people ground with satellite technology, simply email sales@groundcontrol.com.

Get in touch

With over 20 years experience facilitating emergency preparedness and response across the globe, we understand that in a crisis, every second counts. We’re constantly evolving and adapting our Public Safety offer and systems to best support teams on the ground. Which is just part of the reason Ground Control has been a trusted name in Emergency Responder satcom since 2002. Whatever your communication or connectivity needs, we can help.

The importance of asset tracking

In today’s connected world, asset trackers have become an essential tool for businesses to enable effective monitoring and management of their assets across the globe. Whether you’re running a logistics company, managing a fleet of vehicles, or overseeing a construction project, having real-time visibility and control over your assets is essential.

Terrestrial asset tracking via BLE, WiFi, LPWAN and cellular has numerous benefits but is not without its drawbacks and limitations. In scenarios where assets operate in remote areas or face signal interruptions, as is often the case in mining, forestry and sea freight, for example, satellite asset tracking becomes essential to ensure uninterrupted monitoring and prevent downtime.

In contrast to terrestrial services, satellite asset tracking provides reliable coverage and continuous visibility from anywhere on the planet with a clear view of the sky; there’s no dependency on proximity to mobile phone masts. This makes it indispensable for applications where reliable asset monitoring is paramount, such as in the case of construction equipment or specialized machinery, where even slight discrepancies in location can have significant consequences. However, with a wide range of solutions available in the market, selecting the optimum satellite device for business and operational needs can be a challenge. Considerations such as coverage, data speed, battery life, accuracy, and cost will ultimately guide buyers’ decisions.

Whether you need real-time tracking or periodic updates, selecting the right device will ensure effective asset management and operational optimization. Using our guide about how to choose the right satellite enabled device will ensure you make the right asset tracker choice. Be sure to consider the key five criteria outlined here.

Choosing the right satellite device for asset tracking

1. Assess your needs

Before determining the asset tracking device required, it’s crucial to understand what needs to be achieved by the tracking solution. Considering the types of assets that need to be tracked – such as vessels at sea, a remote workforce, or aircraft – the geographical areas the assets will be located in, and the level of tracking accuracy required are just three considerations to make.

Another crucial factor to consider is the level of tracking accuracy required. Some applications demand real-time and precise location updates, such as high-value shipments or sensitive equipment. In such cases, a device that offers high accuracy and frequent data transmission will be essential. On the other hand, if periodic location updates are sufficient, a device with longer battery life and less frequent data transmission would be more suitable.

SEE TRACKING SOLUTIONS
illustration-satellite-asset-tracking
Satellite Orbit Heights Diagram 2024

2. Evaluate coverage options

Armed with a clear view of your essential requirements, your next consideration when choosing a satellite asset tracking device is coverage. A satellite network operator’s coverage depends on the number of satellites they have in orbit, and the height of those satellites relative to the Earth.

It’s certainly not the case that all satellite operators offer 100% global coverage, and you should check carefully to ensure that the tracking device you’re looking at has good, stable coverage in every region your asset operates in.

Iridium offers complete global coverage; Viasat covers most of the globe, but service degrades towards the polar regions. Globalstar works well in the Americas, Western Europe and much of the Asia-Pacific region.

Use our coverage maps to view the different satellite networks and select a network that ensures seamless connectivity for your assets, regardless of their location.

Coverage Maps

3. Battery life and power management

Many tracking devices use your vehicle’s electrical system as their principle power source, connected via 9-30v input or USB; cars, trucks, boats, aircraft etc. If this applies to you, you’ll have a wide choice of devices and don’t need to be particularly concerned with the power draw, even if you’re transmitting a location signal very regularly.

However, for assets that have limited access to power sources, extended battery life is essential. Satellite asset trackers consume power to transmit location data, and their battery life can vary significantly depending on the device and usage frequency. If real-time tracking and monitoring are required, buyers should opt for devices with longer battery lives, solar power options or power-saving features. Alternatively, if reporting only on exception or low-frequency updates is sufficient, there are tracking devices available with extended battery life lasting weeks or even months.

SEE IRIDIUM EDGE SOLAR
illustration-of-battery-life-span-examples
Cloudloop-Tracking-on-monitor

4. Data accuracy, speed and management

It goes without saying that frequent and fast data transmission enables more precise asset tracking. Knowing the location and status of your assets in close to real time helps you make informed decisions, optimize logistics, and provide reliable information to customers or stakeholders. That said, data points always require context to be meaningful.

So, a robust satellite asset tracking solution should not only provide accurate, real-time location information but also deliver data management capabilities. Cloudloop is Ground Control’s cloud-based platform for subscription and device management, and, new for 2023, device tracking. There are a number of key tracking features of the platform, including:

  • Real-time visibility of your assets, with multiple mapping options
  • View the location, speed and heading of your assets, wherever they are on the planet
  • Instant notifications of driver-issued alerts
  • Historical position reporting and device events.
Cloudloop Tracking Overview

5. Cost and scalability

As well as the upfront costs, when selecting a tracker, it’s important to consider ongoing airtime and/or service charges. There are various pricing models available, from pay-as-you-go where you top up your device’s airtime as needed; monthly fixed payments based on your estimated usage; or post-pay invoicing based on actual usage (note: while this sounds appealing, they’re often more expensive than having a monthly fixed payment).

You can also pay per asset, or in some cases, use ‘pooled’ data so that all assets are drawing from the same data allowance (this gives you flexibility if assets’ tracking requirements change week on week, or month on month, while still having a fixed monthly payment).

Ground Control offers very flexible pricing models, and is competitive on airtime too. Our most popular tracking airtime services include Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) and Viasat IoT Pro.

LOW COST AIRTIME PLANS
Satellite-Asset-Tracking-5

Comparing popular satellite-enabled asset trackers

RockFLEET

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RockAIR

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Cobham Explorer 323

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Iridium Edge Solar

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Service provider:
Iridium
Iridium
Viasat
Iridium
Size:
∅ 137 x 40 mm
119 x 100 x 25 mm
∅ 32.1 x 9.7 cm
164.2 x 71.2 x 32.9 mm
Weight:
390 grams
210 grams
3.9 kg
470 grams
Power:
9-30v DC | Internal battery
9-30v DC | Internal battery | USB rechargeable
12-24v DC
Photovoltaic Solar Cells | Rechargeable and Primary Batteries
Antennae:
Built-in GNSS & Iridium (& GSM option)
Built-in GNSS & Iridium (& GSM option)
Built-in GNSS & Inmarsat
Built-in GNSS & Iridium
Dual Mode?
Yes: Iridium Short Burst Data / GSM
Yes: Iridium Short Burst Data / GSM
No: Viasat IoT Pro and Go-anywhere Pro only
No: Iridium Short Burst Data only

Key Features:

Battery life: 15 min TX for 10 days
Autonomous tracking
Two-way messaging
iOS and Android app
M2M via RS-232 | RS-485 | BLE API
Switch inputs / alerts
Over the air config

Battery life: 15 min TX for 10 days
Autonomous tracking
Two-way messaging
iOS and Android app
M2M via RS-232 | BLE API
Switch inputs / alerts
On-dash keypad
Over the air config

Standard IP data: 384 Kbps up, 270 Kbps down
Autonomous tracking
Internet connectivity, voice and email communication
iOS and Android app
LAN interface: 1 x 10/100 Mbps ethernet via hybrid power and connectivity cable

Battery: Self-charging solar
Autonomous tracking
Two-way communications
iOS app
BLE
Wireless sensor integration
MIL-STD-810G and IP68 Ratings
Over the air config

Service provider:
Iridium
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Iridium
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Viasat
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Iridium
VIEW PRODUCT

Satellite asset trackers have become an increasingly affordable, accessible and effective solution for businesses to enable fast, reliable and effective monitoring and management of their assets across the globe.

By assessing one’s tracking solution needs, and then evaluating coverage options, considering battery life, accuracy and reliability, and considering cost and scalability; an informed decision about the right satellite asset tracker can be made to achieve maximum operational efficiency.

Ready to select your asset tracking device?

Having partnered with satellite network providers such as Iridium and Inmarsat for well over a decade, we have access to competitively priced tariffs, and can also be very flexible in terms of bundled data - saving you money.

So if you are working on upgrading your existing solution, or tracking your assets for the first time and would like some no pressure, objective advice, simply fill in the form and one of our expert team will get back to you.

A surprisingly small amount of the Earth’s total surface is covered by terrestrial networks; it’s reckoned to be between 15-20%. Of course connectivity is centred around people, so populated land masses have the lion’s share of mobile phone masts. If your IoT application is located within or close to a populated area, you’ll have several choices to connect your devices: cellular, LPWAN, WiFi, BLE etc.

However if your application is in a remote area, or travels in and out of remote areas, terrestrial networks may be unavailable or unreliable. This often affects oil and gas pipelines; farms; mining operations; almost anything that’s at sea; offshore wind farms; reservoirs; solar plants; forestry – the list goes on.

Satellite IoT connectivity, once the last resort due to cost, has come of age. With a large number of new entrants to the market, incumbents have diversified their offerings, and prices have come right down. One example of this is the new Iridium Certus 100 service, designed for IoT. The RockREMOTE Rugged satellite IoT device leverages this service, which we’ve made available with both its IP-based connectivity option, and Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT), a message-based service allowing for relatively large (for IoT!) amounts of data to be transmitted using the MQTT protocol.

Our infographic draws out some of the key benefits of the new RockREMOTE Rugged; if you’d like to know more, just contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Infographic showing reasons why the RockREMOTE Rugged can unlimit remote IoT applications

Find out more

If you have a remote connectivity challenge, we can help. We design and build our own hardware, like the RockREMOTE, but we also partner with companies like Thales, Cobham and Hughes, to ensure that we can offer our customers the best possible product for your particular requirement.

With over 20 years' experience, we'll provide you with impartial, expert advice. Call or email us, or complete the form; we're standing by to help.

Consulting firm McKinsey has projected that the Internet of Things (IoT) could enable global value between $5.5 trillion – $12.6 trillion by 2030. This estimation encompasses the value derived by consumers using IoT products and services. However, it is predicted that around 65% of this value will come from business-to-business (B2B) applications. And within the B2B sector, the primary drivers of value projected are operation optimisation (41%) and condition-based maintenance (12%).

2030 is still some time away, but how close are we to realising this value?

The IoT has already connected over 14 billion devices worldwide, but being a relatively new technology, it faces its share of challenges and obstacles. According to a recent survey on IoT deployments, only 42% of companies considered their projects successful. However, it’s important to consider that 50% of those surveyed were in the trial or pilot phase, which provides valuable insights into identifying barriers to success. Encouragingly, when compared to the 2020 survey results, the 2023 survey indicates a notable 28% increase in success rates. Additionally, research from ABI reveals that satellite IoT projects have a comparable but increased success rate, with approximately 50% of participants considering their projects successful.

As the adoption and success of IoT continues to accelerate, demonstrating a positive return on investment (ROI) becomes increasingly essential. Here at Ground Control, we are privileged to work on a wide range of IoT deployments every day. Our projects span various industries, from operators seeking to minimise downtime in the Oil and Gas sector, to those in Utilities handling mission-critical data, and even those facilitating telehealth via medical drone deliveries and remote nurse tracking. Drawing on these experiences, we’ve created this article to highlight the challenges we most commonly see and potential solutions to guide you on the path to success. But first…

How to define IoT project success

Defining IoT project success involves aligning project goals with overall objectives, setting specific and measurable KPIs, and quantifying expected benefits and ROI. Establishing baselines and targets, tracking progress, and analysing data against the defined metrics are crucial. In our experience, customers often focus on immediate challenges and short-term gains and this can lead to issues regarding scalability and the ability to adapt to future needs further down the line. When embarking on an IoT installation, regular iteration and improvement can mark the difference between success or not. In short, for many IoT projects success is dependent on companies being proactive.

GC-IoT-Blog-1

5 common IoT deployment challenges and potential solutions to overcome them

 
 

  1. Security and privacy concerns
  2. Connectivity reliability
  3. Interoperability and integration
  4. Data management and analytics
  5. Scalability
Data engineer near servers

1. Challenge: Security and privacy concerns

Within the vast IoT ecosystem, the extensive network of interconnected devices creates numerous potential entry points for cyberattacks. Each connected device becomes a potential vulnerability that malicious actors can exploit. The sheer volume of data generated and transmitted by IoT devices raises significant concerns about privacy. Safeguarding personal information and ensuring data protection become of paramount importance in this interconnected landscape.

From a technical perspective, security emerges as the foremost obstacle in IoT deployments. As IoT solutions continue to evolve, security measures must also advance. It is an ongoing and dynamic process that requires continuous improvement and this inherent characteristic poses significant challenges.

These concerns are further emphasised by notable cyberattacks that have made headlines. In 2021, a cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline forced a temporary shutdown of 5,500 miles of pipeline, impacting critical infrastructure. In another instance, an attempt was made to tamper with the levels of sodium hydroxide in Oldsmar, Florida’s water supply. Additionally, the ‘AcidRain‘ malware attack in 2022 caused severe and prolonged disruptions on a mass scale. This attack targeted and disabled Viasat’s KA-SAT broadband service’s satellite modems, affecting thousands of users in Ukraine and across Europe.

Potential solutions: Secure network design and data encryption

Addressing the security concerns in IoT deployments requires a multi-layered approach to IoT security. Implementing secure network architectures, employing data encryption, practicing best access control practices, and leveraging private network solutions, all strengthen organizations overall security posture in IoT deployments.

Secure Network Architecture: A robust and secure network architecture is crucial in addressing IoT security concerns. Companies should design their networks with measures such as network segmentation, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. By dividing the network into segments and implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems, the impact of potential breaches can be contained, and real-time threat identification and mitigation can be achieved.

Data Encryption: Protecting IoT data through encryption is paramount. Strong encryption algorithms and secure key management practices should be employed to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information. By encrypting data at rest and in transit, organizations can significantly enhance the security of their IoT deployments.

Best Practice Access Control: Implementing best practices for access control and identity management is a simple yet effective way to strengthen IoT security. Regularly reviewing access privileges, promptly revoking access for former employees or compromised accounts, and monitoring for suspicious activities all contribute to an enhanced security posture, mitigating potential risks.
 
 

Private and Secure Networks: Depending on the nature of the data handled by an IoT application, a completely secure and private network may be necessary. Solutions like SCADASat provide secure, private networks for handling sensitive data, ensuring end-to-end security and protecting against unauthorized access.
 

 
 

2. Challenge: Connectivity reliability

The success of IoT relies heavily on reliable connectivity. Without a consistent means of transmitting data, the value of IoT is diminished. Obtaining a comprehensive view of operations is crucial for making informed business decisions. Fragmented data can lead to inaccurate insights, resulting in suboptimal business decisions.

Currently, only 25% of the world’s landmass is covered by cell towers. While 5G deployment is underway and will be able to support a much larger volume of devices, the shorter wavelengths mean 5G has a much shorter range than its predecessor. For some deployments, cellular coverage will be sufficient. But for those with assets in remote locations whereby cellular may be intermittent or unavailable, challenges arise; and a staggering 75% of businesses reported struggling with connectivity issues when trialling IoT projects.

Terrestrial connectivity transmission tower

Potential solutions: diversify connectivity portfolio, implement redundant network architectures and regular maintenance

Diversifying your connectivity portfolio involves adopting multiple connectivity technologies, including cellular, satellite, and LPWAN, to create a more resilient network infrastructure. By leveraging diverse connectivity options, organisations can minimise the impact of network outages, ensure continuous data transmission and balance costs. Just one example and one we’re increasingly seeing is satellite alongside LoRaWAN. Typically, sensors connected via LoRaWAN transmit data to a hub; the hub then optimises the data payload to reduce transmission costs, and from there transmits the data packet via cellular where and when available, and satellite when LTE is unavailable.

Implementing redundant network architectures is another effective strategy. This entails establishing backup systems and redundant connections to provide alternate pathways for data transmission. Redundancy mitigates the risk of single points of failure and enhances the reliability of the IoT network, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity even during network disruptions. One of our largest clients actually have satellite implemented as their third failover (cellular first, fibre second). Their satellite setup hasn’t failed once in 27 years and is the system they consider the most reliable.

What’s more, regular maintenance is vital for sustaining reliable connectivity. Conducting regular inspections, monitoring network performance, and performing necessary updates and maintenance tasks help identify and resolve potential issues proactively.
 
 

weather station rockblock

3. Challenge: Interoperability and integration

IoT projects encounter hurdles in achieving interoperability and integration across devices and systems. Inconsistent protocols, standards, and proprietary technologies create barriers to seamless data exchange and collaboration. These challenges result in data fragmentation, scalability limitations, and increased complexity in managing integrated IoT environments.

Potential solutions: APIs, middleware and gateway devices

Despite some really promising and exciting developments, it’s likely that widespread, tried and tested, and truly seamless interoperability – including device and connectivity – is a few years away. So many companies will still need to either utilize multiple SIM cards, and/or devices to make their network work for their IoT deployment. But open standards and protocols play a crucial role in addressing interoperability and integration challenges. By adopting open standards, organizations can ensure compatibility and seamless communication between different IoT devices and systems.

Additionally implementing robust APIs facilitates smooth integration and interoperation, enabling data exchange and interoperability across diverse components. Moreover, leveraging middleware solutions and gateway devices helps bridge the gap between incompatible technologies, enhancing interoperability and integration capabilities.
 
 

4. Challenge: Data management and analytics

Data management and analytics pose critical challenges in IoT projects. The sheer volume and diversity of data generated by connected devices make it daunting to collect, store, process, and derive meaningful insights. Organisations struggle to handle the velocity and real-time processing requirements of IoT data. Ensuring data quality, integrity, and security across heterogeneous data sources is another significant challenge. Furthermore, scalability issues arise as the number of devices and data sources increases.

Green line data graph

Potential Solutions: Data management platforms, analytics tools and machine learning algorithms

Organisations can address data management and analytics challenges in IoT projects by adopting comprehensive data management platforms. These platforms facilitate efficient data collection, integration, and storage from diverse sources, ensuring data quality and reliability. Advanced analytics tools empower organisations to process and analyse IoT data efficiently and effectively, extracting valuable insights for informed decision-making.

What’s more, machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics can be used to identify patterns and drive actionable intelligence. When used appropriately, these can ensure companies can drive true value from their data and thus IoT deployment.
 
 

Three workers at desk, with hardhat, large maps and calculator

5. Challenge: Scalability

When scaling an IoT project, various challenges become more pronounced. The costs associated with scaling can be significant, including expenses for hardware, connectivity, data storage, and maintenance. Managing and maintaining the project also becomes more complex and expensive as the number of devices and systems increases.

Battery life and power consumption pose significant challenges in scaled IoT projects. With more devices consuming more power, effectively managing power consumption and extending battery lives becomes crucial.

Scaling also intensifies challenges in data interoperability, security, and management. Ensuring interoperability and compatibility between devices and systems becomes more complex as numbers increase. Robust security measures must be implemented to protect against the growing risks of security breaches. Additionally, managing and processing the vast amounts of data generated by IoT devices becomes a significant challenge that requires suitable infrastructure and tools.

Potential Solutions: Prioritise scalable architecture, carefully consider device choices and leverage edge computing

Often scale is where in-house server infrastructure falls short for IoT applications. Cloud infrastructure for IoT applications encompasses not only traditional data processing and storage services but also gateway services that facilitate data collection and device interaction. These include HTTP/MQTT servers and WebSocket servers. Scalability is a crucial factor when designing cloud infrastructure for IoT. As your device count increases, your cloud infrastructure must seamlessly scale alongside it. IoT cloud platforms offer superior scalability compared to physical servers maintained in-house. Leading cloud service providers including AWS, Azure, GCP, or Macrometa can all provide robust and scalable solutions.

Implementing edge computing can also alleviate the burden on centralised cloud infrastructure and enhance scalability. By performing data processing and analysis at the edge of the network, closer to the IoT devices, you can reduce latency, minimise bandwidth requirements, and improve overall system performance.

Additionally, it’s important to evaluate network providers that can support your scaling requirements and ensure seamless connectivity across your IoT ecosystem. We’d recommend considering solutions such as low power, wide area networks (LPWAN) or satellite as both offer extended range and scalability.

To address challenges of increased power consumption, companies can explore energy-efficient IoT devices, implement power-saving features such as sleep modes, and utilise power management techniques to prolong battery life. Moreover, alternative power sources, such as solar or kinetic energy, can prove key for long-term sustainability.

Security should always be a top priority, but as mentioned, when scaling this is even more crucial. Companies can strengthen security by adopting a multi-layered approach. Incorporate encryption techniques, secure authentication protocols, and regular security audits. Implement secure coding practices and provide ongoing training to your team to enhance security awareness and ensure compliance with industry best practices.
 
 

The above list is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it highlights the importance of staying proactive. By acknowledging the evolving nature of IoT, the improving success rates, and the valuable insights gained during pilot phases, organisations can overcome hurdles and capitalise on the immense potential offered by IoT deployments.

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