Thuraya, eSAT Global announce satellite IoT breakthrough with low-latency messaging

Thuraya, eSAT Global announce satellite IoT breakthrough with low-latency messaging

ABU DHABI - Thuraya, the mobility arm of the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider Yahsat; and eSAT Global today announced that they have successfully completed an over-the-air demonstration of low-latency, direct-to-satellite IoT texting system by transmitting low-power IoT (Internet of Things) messages over Thuraya’s satellite network (Thuraya-2 Satellite ‘T2’).

This milestone is the first of several milestones that Yahsat expects to achieve via its investment in eSAT Global and Thuraya’s agreement with the company to develop a next-generation IoT platform.

eSAT was able to send and receive messages of lengths of up to 320 characters over the T2 satellite with less transmission power (< 200 microwatts) than that used by a typical car key fob. This means that only minimal power is needed to transmit long-distance messages. The demo showed stable operations for a range of configurations, including those with a fingernail-sized antenna.

Other technologies, such as Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT), consume more satellite transmit power and bandwidth for the provision of similar texting and messaging services.

The reduced level of power and bandwidth consumption allow GEO-MSS satellite operators to regulate cost per message, generating significant savings for their customers, in comparison to other satellite-based messaging technologies. A further benefit of this approach is that very