As a global resource, satellite technology is poised to accelerate universal digitalization, providing a reliable and expansive solution to the existing connectivity challenges.
In a move solve the connectivity issues of Turkey with the help of satellite technology, Sateliot, the 5G satellite operator headquartered in Barcelona, has reached an agreement with Turkcell, the leading telecommunications company based in Türkiye.
According to the agreement, Sateliot will test and demonstrate connectivity to the IoT market on out-of coverage areas in Turkey.
Sateliot is the first company to operate a Low-Earth orbit (LEO) 5G IoT satellite constellation acting as a seamless roaming extension of cellular networks. While, Turkcell is the largest carrier in Turkey, with a presence in 9 countries, and is known to be the most innovative technological actor in the industry. This strategic partnership with Sateliot underscores its commitment to innovation, solidifying its role as a pioneering force.
Gianluca Redolfi, Sateliot’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Our standard approach allows any Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to integrate satellite connectivity to their offering, just by a simple roaming agreement.”
Sateliot’s future plans
Sateliot is launching the first LEO satellite constellation based on the 5G standard, allowing unmodified commercial cellular NB-IoT NTN devices to connect from space. It is the first time in history that terrestrial cellular telecommunications seamlessly merge with satellite connectivity.
“We have regulatory clearance to operate in more than 20 countries at the moment, and we expect more very soon,” Sateliot said to Geospatial World.
The final service extends Turkcell cellular coverage, allowing unmodified commercial cellular IoT devices to connect everywhere in the geographies.
“Our service is global since a single LEO satellite provides worldwide coverage (the issue is the latency since we can only do two connectivity passes per day but to everywhere in the world). We currently count on two satellites and plan to launch 4 more this year with SpaceX, to reduce the latency,” Sateliot informed Geospatial World.
Turkey’s connectivity challenges
Rapid digitalization is key for economic growth, yet infrastructure remains a primary challenge.
Satellite, however, makes the enhancement of the digitalization of key industries such as oil & gas, energy, agriculture, mining, transportation, and logistics possible. The potential in the market is still untapped and is estimated to be over one million IoT devices, transforming many sectors that were previously out of reach of connectivity.
“The connectivity challenges we can solve right now in Turkey are for delay-tolerant applications in remote areas. For example, we’ve seen a lot of demand for connecting maritime containers for logistics and also for agriculture, since those are applications that with a couple of data exchanges a day you have all the information you need.
“We have signed with an undisclosed number of Turkish companies. We have signed orders to connect more than 6 million devices globally (the current satellite market is of just 4 million devices) so we have seen an incredible amount of interest and demand for our service,” informed Sateliot.
Prof. Dr. Vehbi Çağrı Güngör, Chief Network Technologies Officer, Turkcell, said, “We are collaborating with the Sateliot to provide IoT services via LEO satellites within the scope of our strategies to closely monitor, test, and implement cutting-edge technologies. We believe that direct-to-Satellite IoT creates new opportunities which is not possible before. As a result of this trial, we aim to provide Turkcell IoT services globally by extending our terrestrial network coverage.
