Satellite IoT: Filling the Coverage Gap with Satellite Connectivity

What is satellite IoT?

Satellite IoT refers to the use of satellites to enable communication and data exchange between Internet of Things (IoT) devices, particularly in locations where traditional connectivity options like cellular, Wi-Fi, or LoRaWAN are not viable. Satellite IoT expands connectivity to remote, maritime, or rural regions where cellular or other forms of connectivity are unavailable.

New satellite connectivity standards are making it possible to support satellite connectivity and traditional cellular or WiFi connectivity in the same device.

This means that IoT devices can use low-cost cellular or WiFi connectivity by default, and fall back to satellite connectivity when operating in areas with no coverage.

The evolution of IoT satellite connectivity and 3GPP NTN standards

Historically, satellite systems have been a last-resort option for most businesses, mainly because they were prohibitively expensive, and added a lot of administrative overheads.

Think about the use of satellite for consumer use cases, such as satellite phones for when mobile phones have no coverage, or a satellite dish to obtain more TV channels. To benefit from these solutions, people would need to carry a satellite phone as well as their regular mobile phone.  The iPhone 14 changed this, providing built-in satellite connectivity as back up, so that if and when consumers lose coverage, they can rely on the satellite as a backup to Text an emergency service.

The same has been true for satellites in IoT. To offer satellite connectivity, each vendor has traditionally had to provide its own proprietary hardware – and businesses would need to buy all new modems, and totally separate devices. Imagine a logistics use case where every parcel tracked would need to have a satellite asset tracker as well as a cellular one in case of a gap in coverage. This dramatically increases Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). As the cost of satellite is many orders of magnitude higher than for cellular connectivity, no business will use satellite alone, which means IoT has relied heavily on cellular, limiting satellite use cases.

More recently however, 3GPP, the global telecommunications standards body, made it possible to converge cellular and satellite into a single solution with its standards for non-terrestrial networks (NTN), covered in Release 17. The announcement means that the same protocols can be used for non-terrestrial communications like satellites, as are used for cellular devices, and supported  hardware can simply be upgraded to use certain types of satellite connectivity with a simple firmware update. 

Release 17 enables cellular and satellite connectivity to be linked, with a standardized approach made up of NR-NTN, and IoT NTN, covering both broadband applications on 5G New Radio, as well as LPWA IoT applications using NB-IoT and LTE-M. Simply put? With the same devices that you use for cellular, it’s now possible to extend coverage to satellite connectivity, too.

The main advantage is that satellite coverage is capable of covering the entire planet, with no area that devices can’t access the internet to send and receive data. This dramatically extends the coverage of existing solutions without additional hardware, to act as a backup when cellular connectivity fails, and to offer coverage in remote locations where cellular coverage does not exist.

What is the difference between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO)?

Satellite connectivity is not all created equally. Different satellite constellations have different orbit types, frequency bands, impact on latency and bandwidth, and vary in terms of communication protocols. The orbit type that you choose will have an impact on the size of the satellite, and also the cost of the solution and the latency of the communications. LEO and GEO are the two kinds of satellite orbit that are specified in Release 17 by 3GPP for NTN IoT connectivity.

LEO stands for Low Earth Orbit, and GEO stands for Geostationary Equatorial Orbit. The main difference between the two is the height at which they are placed. LEO orbit satellites are much closer to the surface of the earth, between 400 and 2,000km altitude, while GEO satellites typically orbit the earth at 35,780km above its surface

As LEO satellites are much closer to the earth, one common use case is that they could be used to collect high-res images. In fact, the International Space Station is a LEO satellite.

GEOs are stationary satellites, and LEOs are not. GEOs have been in orbit for more than 50 years. While GEOs are positioned to stay in the same place in the sky at all times, and LEOs move, GEOs can cover a much wider area than LEOs. It only takes a few GEOs to cover the whole planet. In comparison, covering a large area with LEOs will require many more satellites, as they orbit far closer to the surface of the earth.

It’s also important to think about network speeds and the impact of latency, the calculation of which may be critical for your IoT use case. You can get lower latency with LEOs, as the average is 50ms, compared with a 500ms average when we’re talking about GEOs. This means you may need to consider the impact of high latency with GEOs, comparatively speaking. However, as GEO satellites are stationary, you can benefit from real-time information and download speeds, which means if you need IoT for critical use cases like healthcare or manufacturing, you might want to choose GEO.

In the end, it will come down to your own business use case. While LEO may be better for LPWA and massive IoT, GEO will likely be the right choice when you need real-time data and are serving critical IoT use cases. At floLIVE we can help you through the different options for your business to support you in making the right choice, and we support both LEO and GEO to meet your needs.

Top 6 use cases for satellite communication in IoT

As the vast majority of the geography of the world is not covered by cellular connectivity, any remote use case would be a great use of satellite extensibility. Here are a few examples:

1. Maritime: The oceans cover 70% of the planet! Satellite IoT could provide greater insight into wildlife and eco-sustainability through smart sensors, support safer and more secure tourism at sea, and allow for intelligent and proactive vessel tracking and maintenance.
2. Energy & Utilities: The largest source of solar power is in the world’s deserts, currently not served by cellular infrastructure. Wind turbines are also often found in remote areas. Satellites can increase the reliability of your power supply and augment grid management.
3. Mining: IoT can support the Mining industry with environmental regulation compliance, workforce safety, and machinery telematics, but only if coverage can reach rural and remote areas. Satellite connectivity can bridge this critical gap to improve profitability and add data where it’s needed most.
4. Agriculture: IoT opens doors for precision agriculture, supporting farmers in getting more out of the work they do, increasing both productivity and yield. Think about automated irrigation systems, weather monitoring, and soil and crop analysis. All unlocked with the right infrastructure.
5. Shipping and Logistics: Failsafe connectivity opens doors for vessel tracking and diagnostics, as well as real-time communications while off the beaten track. Smart packaging and labeling can ensure always-on reliability in logistics, with zero gaps in visibility and control.
6. Transportation: Say goodbye to dead zones, where data can’t be shared as cellular coverage is weak. Satellite completes the picture, offering anything from safety and security, to entertainment and communication. Think emergency notifications to first responders, airbag alerts, and visibility into self-driving and autonomous vehicles.

Best Practices for Implementing Satellite IoT with the New 3GPP NTN Standards

Understand Relevant 3GPP Standards and Releases

Start by aligning your implementation with 3GPP Release 17, which introduces normative support for non-terrestrial networks (NTN). This release enables the use of both broadband (NR) and massive IoT (NB-IoT and eMTC) protocols over satellite, using the same device hardware and software as terrestrial networks.

Ensure device compatibility with defined NTN frequency bands, such as n255 and n256, and confirm support for both regenerative and transparent payloads. Use of Release 17 also enables seamless service continuity, roaming, and fallback between satellite and terrestrial networks.

Future-proof your deployment by tracking enhancements introduced in Releases 18 and 19, such as regenerative payload architectures, support for RedCap UEs, and network-verified location features.

Optimize Device and Network Configuration

Devices operating over NTN must manage unique physical constraints, such as longer propagation delays and Doppler shifts due to satellite movement. For LEO satellites, frequent beam switching and dynamic link budgets require UEs to support GNSS positioning and perform pre-compensation for timing and frequency offsets before uplink communication.

Configure UEs to use a “common timing advance” and satellite ephemeris data for accurate synchronization. Use network-assisted or autonomous beam tracking to maintain stable connectivity, especially for mobile or remote use cases.

Devices should also support larger HARQ buffers or disable HARQ feedback in high-latency environments to reduce retransmission delays. Applying these optimizations ensures better link stability and efficient spectrum use.

Plan Hybrid Satellite–Terrestrial Architectures

Take advantage of Release 17’s support for hybrid connectivity. Design systems where devices prioritize terrestrial access (e.g., cellular or Wi-Fi) and fall back to satellite only when necessary. This reduces costs while ensuring coverage in remote or underserved areas.

Use multi-connectivity to maintain service continuity across NTN and terrestrial networks. Devices can operate in dual connectivity mode or switch dynamically based on signal quality or pre-configured policies. Earth-fixed tracking areas help reduce location update signaling, enabling seamless roaming between NTN and TN domains.

Deploy gateway-assisted or direct-to-device satellite access depending on your use case. For example, large stationary installations may use VSAT relays, while mobile or power-constrained devices may connect directly using onboard satellite modems.

Leverage LoRaWAN-based Satellite NTN When Appropriate

Although not directly part of 3GPP NTN, LoRaWAN over satellite may be appropriate for narrowband IoT use cases where ultra-low power consumption and low data rates are critical. Consider this especially for delay-tolerant sensor applications in agriculture, wildlife monitoring, or asset tracking.

Ensure your network supports the protocol adaptations required for LoRaWAN to function in satellite environments, such as managing duty cycles, uplink scheduling, and adjusting for longer round-trip times.

LoRa-based NTN can be particularly effective when combined with 3GPP-compliant fallback strategies for broader interoperability.

Address Operational and Regulatory Challenges

NTN implementations introduce regulatory complexities, especially when beams cross national borders. Ensure your system supports lawful interception, location reporting, and other compliance requirements in multiple jurisdictions.

Operationally, prepare for satellite-specific challenges such as managing service continuity during satellite or gateway handovers, and dynamically adjusting tracking areas. Use ephemeris-based mobility management to anticipate satellite movement and plan seamless handovers.

Finally, build flexibility into your architecture to support evolving standards. The 3GPP roadmap includes regenerative payloads, store-and-forward models, and satellite-to-UE direct communication. Ensuring modularity and upgradability will allow you to adapt as satellite IoT continues to mature.

How can floLIVE support customers with satellite services?

For floLIVE, the new 3GPP standards allow us to extend our hyperlocal global connectivity to truly cover the world. Our existing network of local POPs already gave our customers compliant cellular coverage anywhere it was available, and now – through partnerships with Satellite operators such as Skylo and Sateliot, we can augment this with satellite connectivity, all from the same SIM, and with one SKU. For MVNOs and MNOs, we’re the perfect choice to help extend coverage with the support of satellite connectivity, opening doors for new business models and revenues.

Where it’s available, devices can connect via cellular connectivity, and then where it’s unavailable, satellite coverage can step in seamlessly, switching over-the-air (OTA) to assure customers of reliability with zero gaps. We optimize and reduce costs, provide you with a single unified bill, 24/7 global support, and real-time access to data and network events where necessary.

The convergence of cellular and satellite connectivity has opened the door to scalable IoT across any industry. Whether LEO or GEO is the right satellite technology to support your business use case, we’re the ideal partner for your IoT roadmap.