IsatData Pro Terminals

Inmarsat (soon to be renamed Viasat) IsatData Pro (IDP) is a message-based satellite IoT service.
It’s a highly cost-effective way of sending and receiving small amounts of IoT data; ideal for fixed
IoT applications such as Mining, Oil & Gas, Utilities, Renewables, Agriculture, and Environmental Monitoring.


It’s unaffected by weather conditions, and IDP terminals draw very little power, running on
battery power for several years. IDP is a low latency (15-60 seconds) service with almost global
coverage; only the polar regions are not served.
IoT and M2M Connectivity IDP Coverage Map

Recommended IDP Terminals

Ground Control partners with trusted third parties on IDP terminals, and we particularly like these Orbcomm options for their design, features and price point.

The simple and effective ST-2100 connects to your gateway or sensor via a serial port, and delivers plug-and-play connectivity with its simple AT command set.

The ST-6100 is fully programmable and comes with resources to support integration into diverse custom solutions. It also has super low power consumption, fully capable of operating on a battery / solar power.

Orbcomm ST 2100: Compact, Rugged and Flexible IoT Terminal

Orbcomm ST 6100: Programmable & Ultra Low-Power Consumption

6,400

Bytes Send

10,000

Bytes Receive

15-60

Seconds Latency*

*Depending on message size

BGAN-CoverageMap

IsatData Pro (IDP) Coverage

Inmarsat/Viasat’s satellites are positioned in geostationary orbit. At 35,786 Km up, they move at the same speed as the Earth rotates, so appear stationary to us – hence the name! At this distance, they can ‘see’ a lot of the Earth’s surface, so a small number of satellites are needed to provide close to global coverage. IDP currently operates on six L-band satellites, which deliver coverage everywhere with the exception of the polar regions.

There are several benefits of GEO satellites. Once you’re connected to the satellite, if your asset isn’t moving around, the connection will be extremely stable. If it *is* moving around, you will need an auto-pointing or omni-directional antenna that can adjust to your asset’s position relative to the satellite. The devices we’ve featured on this page have omni-directional antennae built in.

GEO services tend to be lower cost than comparative LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite airtime plans, so it’s often a very cost-effective option.

IDP Coverage Map

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    Benefits of IsatData Pro (IDP)

    IDP is a message-based airtime service, which is a very cost-effective way of using the space segment. Utilizing the tried and trusted Inmarsat satellite network, it's secure, reliable, and scalable.

    Talk to our team if you'd like some advice on whether IDP is the best satellite airtime service for your requirements; we have 20 years' experience in satellite IoT, and we're here to help.
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    99.9% Service Availability

    Inmarsat/Viasat IsatData Pro utilizes the L-band radio frequency, which is licensed (so you don't have to worry about congestion slowing down transmissions), & unaffected by weather conditions.

    Low Operating Costs

    IDP ensures predictable data usage with minimal overhead, pooling data within each rate plan to avoid unexpected costs. There's great flexibility for IoT solutions, scaling from initial pilots to large deployments.

    Energy Efficient Terminals

    As a message-based service, IDP is event-driven, which means it's not only low cost (sending only what you need, when you need it), it also draws much less power than 'always on' solutions.

    15-60 Second Latency

    Latency - the time it takes for the message to leave the terminal and travel via the satellite to your server - is just 15-60 seconds with IDP - depending on the message size. This is very fast for a GEO satellite network!

    Broad Coverage

    Inmarsat's satellite network covers most of the planet, with only the polar regions excluded. This means you can access the service without roaming charges, as long as you have line of sight to a satellite.

    Comparing Satellite IoT Connectivity

    It’s tricky to compare airtime services because so much depends on how much data you need to send, but as a rough guide, we’ve put together the following comparison points. Get in touch if you’d like any help deciding what will work best for you.

    Service:
    Inmarsat/Viasat IDP
    Iridium SBD
    Iridium Certus 100
    Inmarsat BGAN M2M
    Connection Type:
    Message-Based
    Message-Based
    IP-Based
    IP-Based
    Typical Connection Speed:
    6.4 / 10 kB per Message
    270 / 320 B per Message
    22 / 88 Kbps
    448 / 464 Kbps
    Satellite Orbit:
    Geo-stationary (GEO)
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
    Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
    Geo-stationary (GEO)
    Latency:
    Low
    Very Low
    Very Low
    Low
    Total Cost of Ownership:
    Lowest
    Very Low
    Medium
    Low
    Power Usage:
    Very Low
    Very Low
    Low
    Low
    Connection Frequency:
    On Demand
    On Demand
    Frequently Connected
    Frequently Connected
    Great For:
    Small amounts of data from individual sensors
    Very small amounts of data from individual sensors
    Fixed or mobile IoT applications which require IP connection
    Fixed IoT applications with larger amounts of data to transfer via an IP connection

    How can we help?

    If you’re developing a remote IoT application and need to explore your connectivity options, Ground Control can help. We design and build our own satellite IoT hardware and services platform, Cloudloop, and work with trusted third parties when they have a great product, like the Orbcomm devices we’ve featured on this page.

    We can offer you expert, impartial advice on the best satellite network and device for your requirements. Just complete the form or email hello@groundcontrol.com, and we’ll come back to you within one working day.

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