Collaboration builds 5G NB-IoT satcom terminal

Space Narrow Band (NB)-Internet-of-Things (IoT) is expected to disrupt the IoT market. As of 1st January 2021, more than 1,900 SmallSats have been launched, and the number is expected to grow rapidly within the years to come.

Standardisation in the satellite IoT market will be a key factor in achieving a sustainable business in the satellite communication market. The 5G NB-IoT Satcom Terminal, based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, will be fully functional with all 5G satellite networks worldwide. The standardisation will drive scalability and globalisation of satellite communication in the future, thereby allowing operators to move their focus from technical challenges towards their core business and in providing improved services to their customers. The availability of standardised solutions, apart from supporting the scalability of business, will, both in the short-term and the long-term, help to save cost and rid the hassle of low or no coverage.

GateHouse SatCom is well poised to build space-based 5G NB-IoT solutions that end-users can look forward to seamless IoT and M2M solutions for monitoring, surveillance and control of equipment and installations in a variety of applications such as agriculture, transport, offshore, and oil and gas.

Addvalue Innovation, an expert on bespoke design of terminal hardware and connectivity solutions, provides integrated innovative satellite communication solutions across land, aviation, maritime and space segments. For example, it has fully certified and type approved IP-based satellite communication solutions for fishery regulatory authorities to monitor fishing vessels at sea and for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite operators to have on-demand and timely connection with their assets in space.

Thomas Scott Jensen, Senior Vice President for GateHouse SatCom, explained: “To secure a lead position and really profit from the introduction of satellite 5G, one needs to get ready now to be among the first to introduce the new groundbreaking technology to one’s customers. The NB-IoT software solution, envisioned by GateHouse SatCom for non-terrestrial coverage, has the advantage of being based on a standard that can be applied to any satellite system conveying the same.

“Paired with the standard 3GPP software protocols developed by GateHouse SatCom and the satellite terminal technology developed by Addvalue Innovation, the resultant 5G NB-IoT Satcom Terminal stands to benefit greatly from the revolutionising change expected to befall on the entire satellite communication industry with the soon expected roll-out of 5G for non-terrestrial networks.”

Tan Khai Pang, CTO/COO of Addvalue Innovation, added: “The confluence of AI technologies and 5G connectivity is destined to be an age of boundless smart and autonomous applications. Space-based 5G NB-IoT will play a significant role in such an exciting era and we have to be ready for it.

“This collaboration with GateHouse is based on our long-standing relationship since 2002. Through this collaboration, we look forward to bringing our connectivity for IoT to a whole new level and be future-proof to open up tremendous business opportunities in a plethora of IoT applications that are not yet currently economically realisable.”