TAMPA, Fla. — Luxembourg startup OQ Technology mentioned Feb. 16 it has secured its first patent for a deliberate satellite tv for pc constellation to attach web of issues (IoT) gadgets.
OQ founder and CEO Omar Qaise mentioned the patent, granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will “give us an edge over competitors” within the more and more crowded space-based IoT market.
Qaise mentioned the patent covers “wake-up” know-how that allows OQ’s terminal gadgets to save lots of energy by solely speaking with satellites as wanted.
He mentioned the know-how will assist OQ develop gadgets that meet a 10-year battery-life objective that 3GPP, the worldwide physique that units requirements for terrestrial wi-fi suppliers, has created for narrowband IoT communications.
However, different small satellite tv for pc IoT corporations are growing constellations promising related capabilities, famous Northern Sky Research analyst Alan Crisp, which he mentioned “should lead to 10-year battery life too, i.e., only send data when there’s a satellite overhead to save power.”
One of those is Sateliot of Spain, which says the power for its upcoming constellation to attach with non-proprietary IoT gadgets, additionally by means of 3GPP requirements, is a key benefit it has over rivals.
“Proprietary features are never an advantage,” Sateliot CEO Jaume Sanpera instructed SpaceNews, claiming these options “do not go far” regardless of having the ability to begin sooner.
“In a standard ecosystem, the difference is in the business model and how good your implementation, exploitation and evolution are,” he added.
Sateliot is working intently with 3GPP to assist form requirements as a consequence of be launched this 12 months, which Sanpera says can be crucial for integrating satellite tv for pc IoT options with terrestrial cellular operators.
He mentioned applied sciences developed earlier than these requirements are finalized can be unable to effectively combine with the terrestrial cellular ecosystem.
However, OQ is assured of having the ability to adapt to incoming requirements, in accordance with Qaise, as a result of the “3GPP standard provides guidelines for requirements for conformance and not the actual implementation itself.”
He instructed SpaceNews these pointers allow the startup to implement “efficient features based on the requirements and specifications at software level,” which could be up to date as essential.
“The hardware aboard our satellites is programmable and the software can therefore be updated in-orbit,” he mentioned.
Racing forward
According to OQ, it has efficiently examined a consumer terminal suitable with terrestrial 5G know-how with Tiger-2, the startup’s first business nanosatellite that launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission in June.
Lithuania’s NanoAvionics introduced a contract final 12 months to construct, combine and function Tiger-2 on OQ’s behalf.
Qaise has plans to deploy as much as six extra satellites in 2022, by means of an settlement with rideshare dealer Spaceflight, for a constellation of greater than 60 spacecraft in complete.
He mentioned the corporate’s subsequent satellite tv for pc, Tiger-3, is slated to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-4 rideshare mission “no earlier than April 2022.”
OQ has 5 different patents pending within the U.S. and Europe that, in accordance with Qaise, will even give it a bonus over different corporations chasing an rising small satellite tv for pc IoT market. These patents cowl frequency and timing synchronization applied sciences, IoT machine localization, and inter-satellite hyperlinks.
The startup goals to make use of small satellites in low Earth orbit to attach low-power gadgets in rural and distant areas for asset monitoring, drone management, automobile telematics and different functions that want lower than 10 milliseconds of latency.
Sateliot mentioned Feb. 9 it had raised 10 million euros ($11.4 million) in a Series A spherical, after additionally launching the inaugural satellite tv for pc for the same IoT enterprise final 12 months.
The Spanish startup mentioned the funds will help analysis and growth actions to develop its enterprise. It can be planning a Series B spherical to help the launch of 16 nanosatellites in 2022-2023.