Sateliot will launch the first 5G satellite in history into space in April, aiming to democratize access to the Internet of Things. The GroundBreaker, as this satellite is named, reflects its disruptive nature, marking a turning point in satellite telecommunications. It conveys the idea that there is no other satellite like it in orbit operating with standard 5G technology. The first-time use of this standard represents a paradigm shift, a technical milestone that will place Spain in the international spotlight and represents the consolidation of a national project in which companies as important as Indra, Cellnex and Sepides participate as shareholders.
Until now, satellite technology has had two main characteristics: it's proprietary, meaning it only connects IoT devices of the same brand, and it's expensive. In contrast, Sateliot's technology will allow all mobile operators to intelligently connect to the satellite network when they lose coverage, at a reduced cost.
This means that any 5G-IoT Internet of Things device will be able to connect interchangeably via satellite or cellular, thus paving the way for the widespread use of the Internet of Things, even in the most remote areas.
Sateliot has been one of the companies that has contributed most to this technological standard, 3GPP 5G NB-IoT NTN Release 17, along with others such as Qualcomm, Apple, Sony, and Samsung, under the premise of democratizing satellite connectivity. In this way, "anything, anywhere" is possible at a cost starting from €1 per device.
The partners: SpaceX, Endurosat, Alén Space, and GateHouse.
For this mission, Sateliot has had the support of four aerospace partners. Endurosat, the European company that has been building and operating nanosats on commercial and scientific exploration missions since 2015, has undertaken the design, development, and operation of this nanosatellite in collaboration with Sateliot.
Alén Space, the Spanish company, manufactured the satellite's core component, the payload, while the Danish firm GateHouse handled the software. SpaceX will launch the satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.
This is the first of five that the company plans to launch this year, marking the beginning of the commercial phase of its constellation to provide global 5G coverage for NB-IoT NTN. The plan is to have 64 nanosatellites in orbit by 2024 and 250 by 2025.
The company has spent the last few weeks integrating the payload, as well as the logistical phase and exhaustive pre-launch testing. Afterwards, and following strict export controls and verification in controlled environments to ensure its feasibility, it arrived at SpaceX's orbital launch pad.
The satellite has already been integrated into the deployer, the box inside the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch it into space once it reaches its operating orbit, located approximately 500 km above Earth. This deployer is, in turn, connected to a sequencer that will trigger the deployment system's opening.
Commercial Phase:
The launch of this second nanosatellite will allow Sateliot to fully enter its commercial phase, enabling the company to provide service to mobile operator customers when they lose coverage. Its goal is to achieve a turnover of €1 billion and an EBITDA of €370 million by 2026.
The company has closed commercial agreements worth 1 billion euros with global telecommunications operators such as Telefónica, Lindsay, Anytrek, EMnify, Teltonika and others that have a portfolio of more than 1.2 billion customers.
According to Jaume Sanpera, founder and CEO of Sateliot, “with the launch of this second nanosatellite, we are taking a definitive leap that will allow the company to enter a new dimension, both from a technological and commercial point of view. We can say without fear of being wrong that we are closer to becoming one of the three Internet of Things (IoT) constellations that will be operating worldwide under the 5G standard.”
