Satellite connectivity startup Skylo, offering Release-17 level NB-IoT on existing geostationary satellites, has certified the Altair ALT1250 chipset from Sony Semiconductor Israel for dual-mode cellular and satellite IoT communications. It is the fifth module to be certified by Skylo, RCR Wireless understands. Devices based on its ALT1250 chipset will support both cellular and native satellite connectivity, without requiring users to switch manually between the two.
Connectivity plans and devices are available through Skylo’s mobile service provider partners. The ALT1250 chipset is geared for IoT monitoring and tracking use cases. Skylo said its developing certification scheme for non-terrestrial network (NTN; satellite) devices aims to “foster a vast ecosystem of connected devices that can operate anywhere in the world”. It said the Sony unit will “accelerate the deployment of satellite-connected IoT solutions globally”.
California-based Skylo told RCR Wireless last month that four chipset makers already have Skylo-certified modules. The company’s chief executive and co-founder Parth Trivedi also suggested satellite NB-IoT (NB-NTN) addresses 80 percent of IoT use cases. “We’re not, for example, seeing the need for live streaming cameras on autonomous vehicles over NTN,” he said. “A lot of that is done on-board, on the device itself or on the car itself.”
In February, Skylo announced it had raised $37 million for its 5G NTN services, including from the investment arms of Intel, BMW, and Samsung, among others. The new investment will go to expand its satellite network and business operations, as it looks to load cellular traffic from smartphones, wearables, and IoT devices. It cited the automotive, agriculture, energy, and transportation sectors as primary customer targets.
Skylo said it will spend the money on the “brightest minds in the industry”, and on “marketing efforts and technological developments”, as it pursues new capabilities, new verticals, and an expanded geographic reach. Its NTN network, “grounded in 3GPP specifications”, has been developed around a so-called ‘standards-plus’ approach, where the firm has added “specifications to improve the functionality, interoperability, and ubiquity” of satellite 3GPP technologies.
It has reseller partnerships with cellular IoT providers including Soracom, Deutsche Telekom, and FloLIVE, among others. The satellite IoT market will reach 21.2 million units in 2026 in 2025, up from 3.9 million units in 2021 – according to 2022-figures from Berg Insight. Skylo has been working with Sony Semiconductor Israel, formerly Altair Semiconductor, since 2020 to accelerate the adoption of NB-IoT over satellite.
Dima Feldman, vice president of product management and marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel, said: “We are excited to have Sony’s Altair ALT1250 achieve certification under Skylo’s program. This certification milestone will simplify module and end-device onboarding to Skylo’s enabled NTN. Our OneSKU technology now includes satellite communication and opens up a myriad of possibilities for innovation providing connectivity in multiple countries around the globe, both in urban and remote areas.”
Prasanna Iyengar, senior director of product management at Skylo, said: “This… is no small feat. Sony’s Altair had to pass rigorous testing to ensure reliability, efficiency, and seamless integration for efficient operations over Skylo’s satellite network. It marks a significant milestone in IoT and wearables connectivity, enabling manufacturers to effortlessly incorporate NTN connectivity into their devices without the need for additional hardware modifications. This ensures that NTN is not just a feature but the foundation of ubiquitous connectivity.”
