Water Utilities

Efficient water supply and wastewater management depends on accurate monitoring, secure data transmission and
fast response to emerging issues, which can be particularly challenging in remote or hard to reach areas.

Satellite IoT delivers always‑on, global connectivity to every pump, meter and sensor, no matter how remote, using
low‑power devices tailored to your data and reporting needs, integrating easily with existing SCADA systems and
enabling reliable, scalable monitoring across your entire network.

Delivering Enhanced Water And Wastewater Operations

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Connectivity where cellular can’t reach

Satellite IoT extends your monitoring and control capabilities to the most remote sites, whether that’s a rural pumping station, reservoir, or storm overflow. With truly global coverage, you can stop relying on patchy cellular or aging PSTN lines, and ensure no asset is left unconnected.

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Ultra-low power for off-grid deployments

Satellite IoT devices can run for years on battery or small solar setups. This makes them ideal for distributed assets without mains power, helping reduce maintenance visits and enabling long term, low cost data collection from environmental sensors and metering equipment.

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Flexible data rates to suit your application

Whether you need simple hourly updates from a flow meter or more frequent readings for pressure monitoring and event alerts, satellite IoT can scale to match your data needs, balancing bandwidth, cost, and power use to suit each deployment.

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Easy integration with existing systems

Our devices support standard interfaces and protocols, making it easy to plug satellite connectivity into your current SCADA or telemetry systems. That means no costly infrastructure overhauls; just better visibility and control across your network.

How standards-based satellite IoT is unlocking scalable water utility applications

Satellite IoT is opening up new ways for water utilities to monitor remote assets at scale, whether that’s using ultra-low power, standards-based devices for simple, periodic data, or proprietary hardware for real time, two way communication with critical infrastructure.

In this blog, we explore the emerging role of NTN NB-IoT, where it fits, and when alternative satellite options may be a better match.

Recommended Devices:

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Remote Monitoring

Whether you're managing remote pumping stations, boreholes, reservoirs, or wastewater infrastructure, staying connected to dispersed assets is critical to operational efficiency and incident response. Some of our preferred devices are:

RockREMOTE Rugged: a satellite IoT gateway which can connect to industrial control systems via serial/I/O, make local decisions, and send data back via LTE or Iridium.

RockBLOCK RTU: a compact, solar powered micrologger with multiple connectivity options, including cellular, Iridium SBD, and NTN NB-IoT*. Flexible sensor inputs, ideal for simple data capture.

RockBLOCK 9603: an ultra-compact developer PCB for OEM integration or simple sensor backhaul. If you need more data (over 10KB per month), try the RockBLOCK 9704.

*In testing, and coming soon.

Products to support this sector

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Environmental Monitoring

For measuring river levels, turbidity, rainfall, water quality, or catchment conditions in support of regulatory reporting or flood response, it's worth exploring:

RockBLOCK RTU: A plug-and-play solar-powered micrologger for periodic or real-time environmental sensor readings. Can use cellular, Short Burst Data, or NTN NB-IoT* for connectivity, depending on your requirements.

RockBLOCK 9603: A developer PCB suitable for OEM sensor partners, RockBLOCK transmits small volumes of data in close to real time from anywhere with a clear view of the sky. If you are sending more than 10KB of data per month, the RockBLOCK 9704 is a better option.

SmartOne C: A battery powered satellite device suitable for simple status threshold alerts.

*In testing, and coming soon.

Products to support this sector

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Asset Tracking and Resilience

Knowing where your mobile assets are, and that they're working as expected, can save time, money, and risk. Satellite connectivity ensures asset visibility anywhere, and can also provide telemetry backup when primary networks fail, supporting continuity of service in critical situations.

RockBLOCK Pro is a ruggedized satellite modem for integrating telemetry and tracking into custom systems, ideal for remote or mobile infrastructure.

GSatSolar is a solar powered, ultra-low maintenance tracker for basic location and movement reporting of non-powered assets.

SmartOne C is a compact, battery powered and cost effective tracker powered by the Globalstar network.

RockFLEET is a robust, vehicle-mounted tracker with global satellite connectivity, designed for fleets operating far beyond cellular range.

Products to support this sector

Choosing the right satellite connectivity for your application

Not all remote water and wastewater assets require the same type of connectivity. For time critical systems, real time, two way communication is essential. For others, scheduled updates are more than enough, and power, cost and scale become the priority.

Use this guide to match your application with the right approach:

Emergency Alert IconReal Time Satellite Connectivity

Clock Rotate Left Icon DuotoneStore-and-Forward via NTN NB-IoT

Use where instant response, control or alerting is essential.

Leak and burst detection on pipelines
Catch anomalies early with real time pressure or acoustic data from key pipeline sections, enabling fast intervention and water loss reduction.

SCADA control at pump stations and valve assets
Send and receive commands to remote infrastructure, either as primary or failover comms.

Backup telemetry for critical infrastructure
Ensure business continuity with immediate failover when cellular fails.

E.g. Iridium Certus 100, Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT), Iridium SBD, and Viasat IoT Nano.

Perfect for low power, low cost data collection where latency is acceptable.

Remote meter readings
Send daily or weekly usage data from customer or bulk meters, even in areas with no cellular coverage.

Tank and reservoir level monitoring
Monitor fill levels or flow trends at gravity-fed sites with scheduled updates every few hours.

Environmental compliance monitoring
Gather turbidity, rainfall, or chemical data periodically for regulatory or flood reporting.

This is emerging technology. We are currently testing our RockBLOCK RTU with a standards-based module.

FAQs About Satellite IoT in Water Utilities

How can we maintain reliable links to widely dispersed assets beyond cellular/fiber reach?

Many utilities still rely on PSTN or cellular, but these either are being phased out (PSTN sunset by 2025) or suffer spotty coverage in rural/industrial zones.

While satellite connectivity has proven itself as a reliable, secure and effective means of maintaining links with remote assets, some instances, the relatively high cost of the module and airtime has made it cost-prohibitive for some wide scale applications.

The emergence of standards-based satellite IoT (e.g. NTN NB-IoT) has the potential to unlock these use cases. By using the same NB-IoT module as would be used for cellular connectivity, the cost of the hardware is materially lower, and while airtime rates are still in flux, it’s anticipated that these will be lower than proprietary solutions.

There are drawbacks; data volumes are very small, and latency is high. But if you have a latency-tolerant application such as daily meter readings, reservoir monitoring, pipeline integrity logs or environmental baseline sensing, this could be an excellent option.

Read more about NTN NB-Iot in water utilities

How do we power remote sensor and telemetry nodes affordably, and keep them running for years without mains?

Continuous SCADA polling and big data uploads can drain solar / battery packs very quickly. The key is transmitting only what’s needed, when it’s needed. Devices like the RockBLOCK RTU include onboard edge processing, allowing them to locally log, aggregate, and filter data, transmitting only summary or exception data at set intervals. This dramatically reduces airtime and power use.

Paired with  energy efficient protocols like Iridium SBD or NTN NB-IoT, which is designed for store-and-forward transmission, these systems can run for years on solar and battery power, even in low light environments.

Read more about maximising battery life for remote IoT devices

Our SCADA/OT systems are ageing and vendor‑locked. How do we integrate new IoT links without forklift upgrades?

Devices like the RockREMOTE Rugged and RockREMOTE act as intelligent gateways between legacy PLCs/RTUs and modern satellite IoT networks. They support serial or Ethernet connections and translate data into open protocols like MQTT, sending it securely over satellite without altering your core system.

This means you can modernise connectivity, via satellite, without replacing infrastructure, and bring new remote assets online gradually, on your terms.

Read more about our satellite IoT gateway

How do we secure remote connections against the rising tide of cyber attacks on water infrastructure?

Water utilities rank cyber threats as their top operational concern, and with justification. Our recent report into data security within critical national infrastructure found that 93% of organizations have seen rising cyber threats.

Satellite IoT offers a secure, self-contained communication path, operating independently of terrestrial networks, reducing exposure to common threats like DNS poisoning, DDoS, or unauthorized access.

All Ground Control devices support encrypted data transmission as standard, and because they’re not reliant on public cellular or internet infrastructure, they offer a dramatically reduced attack surface.

As highlighted in our data security report, satellite links can also provide a resilient backup in the event of a cyberattack, ensuring you retain visibility and control when it matters most.

Read the full report on how satellite supports data security

How do we control costs when deploying thousands of endpoints - unit cost, airtime, and ongoing support?

Modern satellite IoT offers scalable cost structures suitable for large deployments. The emergence of NTN NB‑IoT devices, using mass-produced chipsets, promises gradual hardware cost reductions through economies of scale.

On the airtime front, low data volume plans tailored to meter readings, tank levels, or periodic environmental reporting are competitively priced; typically a few dollars per device per month, with flexible overage controls available via platforms like Cloudloop.

Plus, with Cloudloop’s unified management ecosystem, you can monitor device health, remotely update firmware, and control airtime activations, all via the same portal, significantly reducing field maintenance and support costs.

Regulatory compliance often demands data sovereignty and audit trails - can satellite providers support this?

Yes – at least in the case of the satellite network operators Ground Control chiefly recommends. Both Iridium and Viasat offer architectures that let you keep your telemetry within approved jurisdictions and capture full audit logs.

Iridium Regional Gateways: Iridium’s LEO constellation down‑links traffic through a network of ground stations in Tempe (AZ), Fairbanks (AK), Svalbard (NO), Izhevsk (RU) and Punta Arenas (CL). By selecting which feeder gateway processes your traffic, you can ensure data never crosses borders you don’t authorize

Viasat In‑Country Gateways: Viasat’s IoT offerings include “in‑country gateway antennas” that let you build private satellite networks terminated on domestic soil, aligning with local data‑sovereignty and regulatory requirements.

On both networks, every packet can be tagged with standardized metadata and cryptographically protected, creating an auditable trail from device to application. Should you need isolated fallback communications during a cyber‑incident, satellite links can be fully segmented from public ISP infrastructure, further tightening your security posture.

Satellite Connectivity for Water Utility Providers

We understand the challenges facing water utilities and wastewater companies. Our team are experts in getting data from hard-to-reach places – so you don’t have to be.

We are proud to have provided one of our utility customers with 27 years uninterrupted service, making satellite that company’s most reliable system. To learn more about our solutions and how these can help you consistently provide better for your water utility customers, get in touch today.

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