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Eutelsat, the provider of space IoT connectivity, and Actility, the world specialist in Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWAN) industrial-grade connectivity solutions, have partnered up in order to make life easier for their users by integrating terrestrial and satellite LoRaWAN IoT connectivity and merging IoT data into a single platform. 

Whether from Space or Earth, customers can now receive aggregated IoT data from Eutelsat or any LoRaWAN® operator connected to ThingPark Exchange, such as National Narrowband Network Company (NNNCo), the operator of the Australian national LoRaWAN network powered by Actility.

Satellite networks can provide planet-wide coverage, complementing terrestrial networks both domestically and abroad. This will also help address coverage discrepancies in rural areas and shipping lanes and provide connectivity for critical mission IoT use, in areas such as oil & gas, telecom, logistics, government & security, agriculture and transportation.

ThingPark Exchange, the industry’s first global LoRaWAN peering hub, already connects over 20 LoRaWAN networks worldwide. Forming the LPWAN backbone, ThingPark Exchange interconnects multiple public, private, and community networks, both on-ground and via satellite. 

Ubiquitous coverage with innovative, hybrid LPWAN connectivity via satellite

As LPWA networks rely on terrestrial gateways, coverage is a major issue for many IoT uses. Across all industries, many enterprises still do not have access to a global, reliable IoT connectivity service, unable to reach remote assets due to erratic or insufficient coverage, as traditional connectivity solutions are too complex or prohibitively expensive.

With Eutelsat’s innovative Low Earth Orbit (LEO) service based on a fleet of nano satellites, Eutelsat will provide one of the largest space networks for IoT. This LEO satellite IoT service is fully compatible with the LoRaWAN standard. The service integrates seamlessly into existing LPWAN infrastructures, without the need to invest in additional gateways, extending LPWA networks across the globe and enabling devices to transmit data irrespective of their location. Complementing terrestrial networks, they provide satellite links anywhere in the world.

When coverage gaps are identified, LoRaWAN-based IoT sensors will move from a terrestrial LoRaWAN network to LEO-based one. Connected to ThingPark Exchange, LoRaWAN terrestrial connectivity providers will enable Eutelsat’s satellite coverage through its “extended coverage” services that also serve partner networks, such as crowd-sourced network Helium, another Actility partner.

This enhanced network coverage will pave the way for many new industries in areas such as oil & gas, telecoms, transportation, agriculture, and emergency support. Use cases include fixed asset and infrastructure monitoring, such as pipelines, pylons, sub-stations, greenhouses, or dams; and mobile asset tracking and monitoring, such as pallets, shipping containers, trailers, livestock or food supplies. Connecting remote assets helps to increase safety and productivity, reduce costs, and create new revenue streams.

 Through the partnerhsip with Eutelsat, Actility’s ThingPark is providing a ready-to-use platform to manage hybrid connectivity, and the required integration to application platforms. The data can then flow into many of the major cloud IoT platforms connected to Actility’s ThingPark Microsoft Azure, AWS IoT Core, Cumulocity, PTC Thingworx and more.

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