Sateliot and Nordic Enable First 5G IoT Link from LEO Satellites
This achievement reinforces Europe’s leadership in satellite-based telecommunications for standard IoT devices and its goals of competitiveness, security, and strategic autonomy.
Sateliot, the leading 5G IoT satellite telecommunications operator, has achieved a historic industry milestone by successfully completing the first-ever 5G IoT transmission between a standard commercial cellular IoT device directly from its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation which provides global coverage.
This breakthrough marks a paradigm shift in connectivity. It validates full interoperability between terrestrial and satellite networks, proving that cellular IoT devices designed for existing mobile infrastructure can seamlessly connect to space-based networks without any hardware modifications.
With this achievement, Sateliot makes global coverage a reality for telecom operators worldwide and enables any IoT service provider to extend their reach, regardless of the availability of terrestrial infrastructure.
The demo consisted of sending an end-to-end message using Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 low power cellular IoT module – the lowest power cellular IoT solution on the market, with industry-leading battery lifetime performance. Without any hardware changes, the nRF9151 module successfully connected through Sateliot’s LEO constellation, replicating the seamless roaming experience that mobile networks already offer on the ground.
The project was developed in collaboration with Nordic, a global leader in low-power wireless connectivity solutions, and Gatehouse Satcom, a reference player in 5G satellite communications software. Both companies contributed their expertise to validate the end-to-end solution in compliance with the 5G NB-IoT Release 17 standard.
This milestone paves the way for a new generation of global IoT services—from logistics and agriculture to environmental monitoring, critical infrastructure, and defense and security—by extending connectivity beyond terrestrial networks, which today cover only 20% of the planet. For the first time, the remaining 80% of oceans, deserts, and remote areas can come online with affordable and resilient communications.
A European technological first
By demonstrating for the first time that standard, low-cost commercial IoT sensors can connect directly from space, Sateliot positions Europe at the forefront of satellite and 5G technologies. This milestone democratizes access to IoT connectivity—lowering costs and enabling businesses, governments, and communities worldwide—while at the same time reinforcing Europe’s goals of competitiveness, security, and strategic autonomy in next-generation communications.
Alongside its technological progress, Sateliot supports its model with strong market traction. The company has signed recurring contracts worth €250 million with more than 450 customers across over 50 countries. As stated in its business plan, it expects to reach €1 billion in revenue by 2030.
According to Jaume Sanpera, Sateliot’s CEO and co-founder, “we are facing a technological, commercial, and strategic milestone, comparable to Starlink’s first connection with a mobile phone, and one that proves Europe can also lead the democratization of connectivity from Space.”
Meanwhile, Oyvind Birkenes, Executive Vice President of the Long Range BU at Nordic Semiconductor, stated:
“The lack of global and harmonized coverage has held back the IoT and M2M markets for years. With this breakthrough, it will be possible to create low-power devices with satellite connectivity and accelerate deployments across many key use cases.”
Finally, Jesper Noer, VP Commercial at Gatehouse Satcom, said that “it is honored to play a part in this groundbreaking milestone. Sateliot is in many ways a first-mover in the field of satellite-based IoT and the cooperation between everyone involved shows that standardized technology brought together can move mountains.”
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