As of 2023, there are around 1 billion massive IoT connections. While there is already a wide range of applications, from larger scale logistics tracking devices to vehicle trackers, SOS situations for remote travelers, and many more, that number is expected to almost double by 2025.
Small wonder then that there’s an accelerated demand for truly global coverage and a more reliable network.
Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) offer connectivity that has the potential to meet those demands for different applications. In fact, it’s already making its way into IoT chipsets, enabling connected devices and installations to be deployed anywhere. Some devices are being outfitted with stand-alone chipsets that can only connect to satellites, while others are using hybrid chipsets that support both terrestrial- cellular and non-terrestrial connectivity.
So what is NTN and can NTN finally help bridge the connectivity gap for underserved populations and remote locations? Read on to find out.
What are Non-Terrestrial Networks?
While Terrestrial Networks, or TNs, utilize phone towers that are located on the ground, NTNs are comprised of various types of satellites:
- Geostationary equatorial orbit (GEO)
- Medium-Earth orbit (MEO)
- Low-Earth orbit (LEO)
Non-Terrestrial Networks utilize a wide system of satellites for increased coverage
The Unique Benefits of Non-Terrestrial Networks 5G
Greater coverage
Cellular network deployments may cover more than 80% of the world’s population, but they fall short when it comes to where on Earth those networks can be accessed. This found to be less than 40% of the globe’s land mass, and less than 20% of Earth in total.
NTN for IoT is planned to become a communication channel of choice in various scenarios, including that of an emergency communication network or for different types of tracking devices. Industries such as automotive, energy infrastructure, agriculture, maritime, railway, and more have the option to enjoy true global communication.
Remote installations are also in need of satellite IoT. Maritime shipments, offshore oil rigs, and trains typically find themselves outside of cellular range. NTN can provide a reliable connection for monitoring and controlling these installations, even in remote locations.
Adaptable coverage anytime, anywhere
Mountain climbers are a fascinating example of IoT use cases, given the necessity of coverage for greater safety and more efficient navigation. They often move from connected areas to areas outside of cellular coverage.
In fact, many extreme sports require having a connected device in the event of an emergency. Hybrid cellular/NTN-connected devices can supply the optimal solution in those situations, and networks are expanding to better meet these needs.
Increasingly more cost effective
Satellite connectivity has been used for years to provide ubiquitous coverage. However, its high cost has limited use to very specific scenarios, such as TV and broadcasting. This is why, in the IoT domain, satellite connectivity is an alternative that has always been a last resort to terrestrial networks.
Until now, that is.
The cost of NTN solutions has been dropping due to reasons like technology advancements, lower cost infrastructure alternatives and being adopted by 3GPP to be part of the standard. As a result, it is economically more feasible to use NTN communication for IoT devices and answer the growing demand for “communication everywhere.”
An Inside Look at Satellite IoT Trends
According to IoT Analytics, the total number of satellite IoT subscribers reached 5.1 million in 2021. It is forecast to grow at a 22% CAGR between 2021-2026. The number of subscribers is expected to reach 13.5 million by 2026.
The IoT industry is already changing to better meet current and projected demands. A number of new players have joined the space in the past few years, many of whom are developing their own technology.
In fact, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed standards to enable the IoT NTN market to grow. 3GPP has included working items starting in release 17 and will provide enhancements in next releases.
LEO vs GEO Satellites
Most satellite systems used to provide IoT/M2M communication services are based on either GEO or LEO satellites.
- LEO satellite services are provided by a combination of established and emerging satellite operators.
- GEO constellations are more associated with legacy satellite operators.
An illustration of LEO vs GEO satellites.
Let’s take a closer look at each one:
LEOs
LEO constellations are becoming more and more relevant to the IoT market. Positioned much closer to the Earth compared to traditional geostationary satellites (500-1200 km compared to ~36,000 km), LEO satellites offer significantly lower latency and higher data transfer speeds, crucial for real-time IoT applications. Additionally, the lower cost of launching and maintaining LEO satellite constellations translates to more affordable IoT connectivity solutions, enabling scalability for IoT deployments.
LEO satellites travel at a much faster rotation speed than earth, namely 7.8 km/s. As a result, LEO satellites change their position relative to the ground quickly, remaining visible from the same location only for approximately 15–25 min for each pass.
GEOs
GEOs, on the other hand, have the advantage of a much larger coverage area. This results in requiring fewer satellites to deliver global coverage.
GEO satellites rotate at the same speed and direction of the earth and as a result, appear stationary when viewed from a fixed point on the ground.. Ground antennas can connect to the satellite by pointing at it, without needing to track its position. This helps make using GEO technology relatively inexpensive, while at the same time, these satellites have a much longer lifetime.
Comparing LEOs vs GEOs: Which offers larger and faster coverage?
The round-trip time for a GEO satellite is approximately 600–800 ms. On the other hand, data moves back and forth to a LEO satellite in the range of 30–50 ms.
This would make it seem like LEO constellations are better suited to real-time applications.
However, most of today’s LEO satellite IoT networks have a limited number of satellites in orbit. They are unable to provide continuous connectivity to the entire world, but rather provide an intermittent, periodic coverage. This means that data points can only be taken from IoT devices a few times every 24 hours (depending on the infrastructure and network) as the satellites move around Earth.
The verdict: the latent GEO constellations are often better suited to near real-time applications than LEO constellations.
What is the Future of IoT NTN?
The future of IoT and NTN looks promising, as the technology continues to evolve and improve. New technologies, such as low-power radio are being developed to improve the efficiency and reliability of NTN connections. Additionally, companies are working on reducing the costs of both infrastructure, device and network service costs, making it more accessible for businesses of all sizes to use NTN for their IoT applications.
NTN connectivity is an increasingly important technology for connecting devices in remote and hard-to-reach areas. As the technology continues to improve and costs decrease, we can expect to see more and more devices and applications utilizing NTN connectivity in the future.
To learn more about Sony’s cellular IoT chipsets, contact our team today.