What Low-Cost Satellite IoT Means For Global Connectivity

As many of our primary industries and key resources reside in remote and rugged environments, the need for reliable, affordable connectivity that works anywhere has never been greater. Low-cost satellite IoT is revolutionising how we connect devices beyond the reach of terrestrial networks, opening the door to truly global IoT coverage.

In this blog post, we’ll outline what low-cost satellite connectivity is, how it works and how it compares to other connectivity solutions on the market. 

What is satellite IoT?

Satellite IoT refers to using satellites to transmit packets of data from ground sensors and devices back to central data systems. Unlike traditional satellite communications, which can be costly and complex, new providers are building networks optimised for IoT, delivering low-power, low-cost yet reliable and secure satellite connectivity and solutions ideal for scalable deployment in remote areas.

In regions where cellular coverage is patchy or non-existent, such as remote agricultural areas, oceans or mining sites, IoT satellite modules can provide critical connectivity, enabling asset locating, environmental monitoring and sensor data to deliver operational insights where none were possible before.

Satellite IoT vs Cellular IoT — how they stack up 

While cellular IoT is ideal for urban and suburban environments, it relies heavily on existing and costly infrastructure. Satellite IoT bypasses this limitation by connecting devices directly to satellites in orbit. This makes it uniquely suited for hard-to-reach locations, ensuring data flows from anywhere on the planet without building new towers or networks.

How it works

A typical satellite IoT architecture involves ground-based sensors and devices transmitting data to satellites, which then relay it to ground stations, and from there the data flows into customer cloud platforms for visibility and analytics.

At Myriota, we’ve designed our IoT platform to make this process simple, secure and affordable. Our UltraLite satellite network offers a truly scalable satellite IoT connectivity solution, with affordability, ultra-low power usage, and global coverage. By connecting via hardware like the Myriota FlexSense, Developer Toolkit, or Module, developers can build robust solutions for applications in agriculture, environmental management, logistics, and more.

Benefits and limitations of Myriota’s low-cost satellite IoT

The main benefits of low-cost satellite IoT are:

• Global coverage
• Low power usage
• Ease of deployment
• Scalable pricing that grows with you 

However, it’s best suited for low-bandwidth applications, such as sending small, infrequent data packets rather than high-throughput communications like video or call data.

Myriota — your premier partner for secure and reliable connectivity solutions 

Low-cost satellite IoT networks are transforming global connectivity. With dependable, trustworthy and flexible solutions like Myriota’s UltraLite™ network and its suite of development and hardware options, it’s now easier than ever to connect assets from the most remote parts of the world, affordably, reliably and at scale.

Learn more about our IoT connectivity solutions by getting in touch with us today.