Summary of SKYLO PARTNERS WITH SONY SEMICONDUCTOR ISRAEL TO DEPLOY 5G-READY NARROWBAND-IOT CONNECTIVITY OVER SATELLITE
Skylo and Sony Semiconductor Israel have partnered to launch the first 5G-ready NB-IoT over satellite solution. This collaboration enables standardized cellular IoT chipsets (Altair) to connect via geostationary satellites, eliminating the need for custom protocols. The innovation significantly reduces costs and enhances interoperability for global industries like marine and logistics, supporting millions of previously unconnected devices through Skylo's hosted network.
Parts used in the NB-IoT over Satellite Project:
- Skylo hosted satellite network
- Sony Altair cellular IoT chipsets
- Skylo Hubs
- Geostationary satellites
- NB-IoT protocol
- 5G-ready technology
- 3GPP future specifications
Narrowband-IoT Connectivity over Satellite
The partnership brings 5G-ready NB-IoT over satellite for the first time and delivers massive cost and interoperability advantages for the IoT industry
Skylo, maker of the world’s most affordable and ubiquitous network that connects any machine or sensor, today announced a partnership with Sony Semiconductor Israel (Sony, formerly known as Altair Semiconductor). With the partnership, Skylo and Sony are the first to develop and deploy cellular IoT chipsets (branded “Altair”) that can connect via geostationary satellites and that leverage the standardized, 5G-ready, NB-IoT protocol. The partnership also makes significant contributions to 3GPP future specifications, which will help standardize and accelerate the adoption of NB-IoT over satellite. In addition, this innovative new use of Sony’s Altair cellular IoT chipsets dramatically reduces the cost for IoT applications to connect via traditional satellite networks; until the launch of this solution, satellite connectivity was cost-prohibitive and required custom-built protocols.
Skylo, which was founded in late 2017 by foremost researchers including Dr. Andrew Kalman, is building an efficient, global NB-IoT network over satellite for millions of presently unconnected devices, machines, and sensors. Sony Semiconductor Israel is a leading provider of cellular IoT chipsets. Through this partnership, both parties have extended existing cellular IoT chipsets to communicate directly over Skylo’s hosted satellite network.
For industries with assets deployed all over the globe — including marine vessels, vehicles, and industrial equipment — having access to a ubiquitous fabric of carrier-grade, affordable IoT connectivity that is enabled by Sony’s Altair cellular IoT chipsets is a game-changer,” said Dr. Andrew Nuttall, Skylo’s co-founder, and CTO. “This partnership ensures our ability to quickly scale the manufacturing and deployment of connector Skylo Hubs to our customers worldwide.
- Who are the partners behind the new NB-IoT over satellite solution?
Skylo and Sony Semiconductor Israel are the partners who developed and deployed this solution. - What type of chips are used to connect via geostationary satellites?
Sony Altair cellular IoT chipsets are used to communicate directly over Skylo's hosted satellite network. - How does this partnership affect the cost of satellite connectivity?
The solution dramatically reduces the cost for IoT applications compared to previous custom-built protocols. - Is the protocol used in this project standardized or custom?
The project leverages the standardized, 5G-ready NB-IoT protocol rather than custom-built protocols. - Which industries can benefit from this ubiquitous connectivity fabric?
Industries with global assets such as marine vessels, vehicles, and industrial equipment can benefit from this solution. - What role do 3GPP specifications play in this project?
The partnership makes significant contributions to 3GPP future specifications to standardize and accelerate adoption. - Can existing cellular IoT chipsets be extended for satellite use?
Yes, both parties extended existing cellular IoT chipsets to communicate directly over Skylo's hosted satellite network. - What is the primary goal of Skylo's network building efforts?
Skylo aims to build an efficient, global NB-IoT network over satellite for millions of presently unconnected devices.
