The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has given Sateliot the green light to start coordinating the frequencies of its smallsat constellation with telecoms operators.
Sateliot is thereby taking a further step toward their goal of democratizing the Internet of Things (IOT) with 5G coverage through a constellation of as many as 100 nanosatellites; devices that will function as telecommunication towers from space providing an extension of coverage to telecommunication companies where terrestrial networks cannot reach.
Once this first procedure with the body in charge of defining the use of the terrestrial and satellite spectrum has been completed, the company will start a round of talks with the space operators and the relevant public administrations to ensure the compatibility of their frequencies so that telecommunications companies can access the roaming service provided by the smallsats.
The ITU is not the only body that has endorsed Sateliot, as the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) working group for non-terrestrial IoT networks — which brings together leading representatives of the telecommunications industry and other non-governmental organizations for the definition of the new 5G standard — has recently agreed to take Sateliot’s proposal up for discussion for final decision at the next meeting scheduled for January. In particular, the company proposes to include in the definition of the standard a scenario for LEO nanosatellite networks providing IOT services.
The space sector is experiencing a new paradigm in which the size of electronics, costs and times are being reduced, giving rise to a real “democratization of space,” with more competitive innovation cycles and more possibilities of deploying not one but tens or hundreds of satellites progressively to provide services on a global scale.
In defining the standards, it is important to take into account that, if previously only large geostationary devices the size of a bus, developed over decades and priced between 100 and 500 million, it is now possible to offer connectivity through satellites the size of a microwave, developed in a matter of months and priced between 1 and 5 million.
This means that New Space is configured as one of the great motors of the economy, due to its high added value, its capacity to generate employment and large investments in the coming years, which will be called upon to drive the recovery. In fact, in Spain alone in 2019, this sector moved nearly one billion euros and contributed 0.5% to the national GDP. Moreover, Spain is in the top five European countries by number of employees in this industry, according to TEDAE figures.
