Washington DC based satellite 5G provider Omnispace is working with Dutch satellite IoT company Lacuna Space to offer “global” LoRaWAN coverage for IoT solutions. The service will employ the LoRaWAN protocol to support direct-to-satellite communications for a broad range of IoT devices. The pair called it a “first-of-its-kind, global, open standards-based IoT network”.
The service uses Omnispace’s licensed 2GHz S-band spectrum, and integrates Omnispace and Lacuna satellite infrastructure to allow devices to roam from terrestrial LoRaWAN to satellite LoRaWAN, using the new LR-FHSS data rates for (even) longer-range satellite connectivity, in black-spots and not-spots where existing terrestrial IoT networks do not reach.
Lacuna Space claims to have validated “on-orbit operation… through several years of non-geostationary satellite testing and optimisation”. The service goes live in the third quarter of 2022, the pair said, and will be targeted at asset tracking, fleet management, and other IoT data collection applications. Lacuna Space is providing a range of compatible LR-FHSS IoT sensors, described as “smaller than the palm of a hand”, able to last “several years off a single battery charge”.
Ram Viswanathan, president and chief executive at Omnispace, said: “Omnispace is reimagining mobile communications for users by employing standards-based solutions to deliver global, real-time connectivity. We’re pleased to be working with Lacuna to introduce this new enterprise-class service, which is part of our broader vision to deliver seamless terrestrial and satellite communications.”
Rob Spurrett, chief executive at Lacuna, said: “We are happy to announce this agreement with Omnispace which accelerates getting our technology to market and enables us to start delivering our IoT services around the globe. Our customers will be able to access Lacuna’s IoT service directly from inexpensive, battery-powered LoRa devices to extend connectivity to even the most remote areas of the world.”
