Vodafone IoT and Skylo to test satellite connectivity for IoT devices

Vodafone IoT and US satellite connectivity specialist Skylo Technologies,will trial a new way of keeping connected devices online in areas with limited or no mobile coverage.

The idea is to combine Vodafone’s mobile network with satellite technolog to keep IoT connected even in remote locations. A full commercial service will follow if the trial is successful,

Skylo offers satellite connectivity for connected devices. Its network works with standard IoT hardware and uses existing mobile standards, making it easier for mobile operators to add satellite coverage without major changes to devices.

Skylo was founded by a group of engineers and scientists from MIT and Stanford in the US, and a  deployment team in Finland and India.

Skylo’s satellite network covers 36 countries and around 70 million square kilometres to extend connectivity beyond mobile masts.

Vodafone IoT chief executive Erik Brenneis said the partnership was another step towards global IoT connectivity, improving reliability and new types of connected services. Skylo CEO and co-founder Parthsarathi Trivedi said the trial shows that “anywhere connectivity” is something that is now ready to be used at scale.

Under the trial, IoT devices wtih Vodafone SIM will switch automatically between the mobile network and satellite network when mobile coverage is unavailable.

The technology is aimed at sectors such as asset tracking, energy services, environmental monitoring and fleet management, where devices are deployed in rural or remote locations.

Connected devices can be managedthrough Vodafone IoT’s existing managed connectivity platform, whether the devices are using mobile or satellite connectivity.