IoT & M2M Connectivity

E.g. telemetry, sensor data. A few bytes to a few kilobytes.

For low volumes of data, messaging services are highly cost effective. (If you’re not familiar with messaging services, it’s not dissimilar to how SMS works but over satellite). You should investigate Iridium SBD and Inmarsat IDP for critical applications, or cubesats.

E.g. audio, images, log files. Kilobytes to a few megabytes.

For medium volume use cases, you should consider Iridium Certus 100 (which offers both IP- and message-based options) and Inmarsat BGAN M2M.

E.g. video. Megabytes to gigabytes.

If you need to transmit high volumes of IoT data, it’s worth exploring Starlink or VSAT solutions.

If it’s essential that your data is delivered in close to real-time, you need to consider the network maturity, visibility and latency. Iridium-powered devices have the lowest latency and the broadest visibility. Inmarsat BGAN M2M and ScadaSAT by TSAT also offer very low latency and very high reliability of data delivery.

If you can wait for your data (i.e. store and forward), you can optimize your delivery, and look at networks that have fewer satellites in orbit (newer LEO constellations like Swarm, for example).

If you operate national critical infrastructure, you may need something with zero reliance on public infrastructure. Have a look at the SCADASat, which gives you a private satellite network.

You’ve got more options as your antenna can be pointed at a fixed point in the sky, opening up geostationary services like Inmarsat. If your location is heavily wooded and hilly, a low earth orbit service like Iridium may be better as satellites are passing constantly overhead.

You either need an auto-pointing device to connect with a geostationary satellite (such as Inmarsat) or – and it’s usually a better option – an omni-directional antenna which speaks to a satellite constellation in low earth orbit (such as Iridium) which will retain constant contact with your things as they move.

Only established low earth orbit satellite constellations work well in the polar regions so you’re looking at Iridium.

Data security is a priority but not necessarily a concern. Satellite data traffic is already relatively secure meeting most military and government security standards. But you may want to consider a public static LPS and/or completely configurable firewalls, to assist your data getting from A to B.

If your application requires higher levels of security, it’s worth exploring data encryption options. You can encrypt data prior to transmission, send over satellite link and then decrypt once landed. With Ground Control you can also set up a VPN from our data centre direct to your server, creating a secure, virtual tunnel.

If you require a completely private, secure network have a look at the SCADASat. This service offers customers their own dedicated frequency on the space segment – an extremely secure solution with relatively low OPEX costs. For Inmarsat and Iridium traffic, you can consider MPLS installation or leased-lines offering a private network solution.