Low-power IoT networks go global with a satellite backbone

Inmarsat and partners are combining LoRaWAN networks on the ground with a satellite mesh in the sky

The land networks that link to Inmarsat’s satellites will use LoRaWAN, a technology that enterprises can roll out on their own, including at sites that mobile operators don’t serve. Multiple vendors make equipment for LoRaWAN, which is based on a specification from the LoRa Alliance.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="580"] MAssive IoT[/caption]

As it announced the worldwide network on Wednesday, Inmarsat and Actility outlined three current use cases for the system. On a remote ranch in Australia, LoRaWAN sensors on cattle track their locations and send out alerts when an animal is acting erratically, nearing the perimeter of the ranch or in danger of getting lost. In the past, employees had to go out and look for stray cattle.

A LoRaWAN network on a palm oil plantation in Malaysia carries data from reservoir level and soil moisture sensors. That information allows for more efficient production, with water sent right where it’s needed, the companies said. And on oil platforms with little or no cellular coverage, a LoRaWAN system streams data that can help identify where equipment might soon fail. A central SCADA system can use that data to adjust settings.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3167933/internet-of-things/low-power-iot-networks-go-global-with-a-satellite-backbone.html