OQ Technology links commercial IoT chipset to LEO satellite

TAMPA, Fla. — Luxembourg-based OQ Technology said Dec. 17 it has connected a commercial Internet of Things (IoT) chipset directly to one of its low Earth orbit satellites, using internally developed software based on 3GPP mobile standards.

The test used an unmodified, low-power cellular module from Norway’s Nordic Semiconductor called nRF9151, which is typically used in tracking and monitoring sensors.

It is the same module used for a similar non-terrestrial network (NTN) demonstration announced in October by Spain’s Sateliot, which used software from Denmark-based Gatehouse Satcom.

“Our vertical integration across the NTN software stack and our satellite operations reduces cost and complexity for customers,” OQ founder and CEO Omar Qaise said, “and supports large-scale deployment of IoT devices across government, enterprise and private industrial networks.”

The operator is already providing satellite IoT connectivity commercially using proprietary devices, including for private 5G NTN networks serving enterprise customers such as energy company Aramco.

By validating that a widely used, standards-based chipset can operate over its network without hardware modifications or software updates, Qaise said the same modules could be used by original equipment manufacturers and mobile network operators through roaming partnerships.

OQ has deployed 10 small satellites to date and is currently using its S-band spectrum to provide IoT connectivity for remote devices in countries including Australia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda and Nigeria.

The company plans to add 30 more satellites next year to demonstrate two-way, direct-to-device (D2D) text messaging, aiming to expand to around 100 satellites within three years to improve coverage and enable broader D2D services, such as voice.

Last month, OQ announced it had sent an emergency broadcast message directly from one of its satellites to an unmodified smartphone, positioning the company as a European-controlled alternative for space-based D2D communications.