5G narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) satellite wholesaler Sateliot has partnered with Streamline – a South African company offering livestock tracking management services – with a goal to connect 400,000 5G IoT devices on remote livestock farms across the world by the end of 2023.

Sateliot recently announced plans to launch its first functional low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellite during the first quarter of next year, with up to five satellites being launched on the back of SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets by year-end. These will provide service to “non-time-sensitive applications” such as agriculture and cattle management, Sateliot CEO Jaume Sanpera wrote to SDxCentral in answer to emailed questions.

Sanpera said the company has plans for 16 total satellites to then be in orbit by early 2024, and 64 total satellites by the end of 2024, a bullish roadmap model echoed by other small-satellite initiatives.

“With 16 satellites at the beginning of 2024, the revisit time will be under two hours,” Sanpera wrote, adding "this means every [one-and-half to two hours] the device will be able to connect to the satellite to upload and process all the data.”

In the case of 64 satellites, the revisit time shrinks to under 30 minutes. “In both cases, livestock management can be hugely improved since it's not so much of a time-sensitive industry,” he noted.

As the Sateliot constellation grows, Streamline plans to connect to both cellular towers and Sateliot’s nanosatellite network, with an aim to grow from 40,000 connected devices in 2019 to eventually seven million connected devices globally.

This management method has been largely inaccessible for a majority of farmers globally due to lack of cellular coverage and limiting proprietary network protocols. Streamline noted in a press release that “Sateliot’s solution is more efficient and affordable for both Streamline and the final user than proprietary solutions from a legacy satellite carrier."

Sanpera explained Sateliot’s pricing model doesn’t have a limit on data and starts at $1 per month for every connected IoT device. “Streamline, as an early adopter, will be benefited from a free [trial] period and discount for life of up to 72%. For example, if they order 500,000 lines, the pricing will be just [$1.49] per line, monthly,” he wrote.

Even more ambitious than its 2024 goal, Sateliot’s roadmap is to establish a “full constellation” of 256 satellites by 2025. Sanpera noted the company is signing agreements with global non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to offer free-of-charge connectivity related to environmental and social projects. “Such a revolution can not only be business driven,” he said.

“Since the final equipment – the device needed to connect to satellite[s] – already exists [and] is a standard already used by IoT companies … this means that the full ecosystem of solutions is there, including in first response, natural disasters,” Sanpera said.