• Thales Alenia Space will advise Sateliot and ensure the viability of the entire technical phase
• Telespazio will help Sateliot to promote the development of the IoT (Internet of Things) market

The satellite telecommunications operator Sateliot will rely on the experience and know-how of The Space Alliance between Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) and Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) for the development of a constellation of nanosatellites to ensure that IoT connectivity is compatible with the 5G standard.

Acting as telecommunications cell towers in space, the space assets – the plan envisages 16 satellites from 2022 to reach 96 satellites by 2025 with an investment of around 100 million euros – will enable the deployment of IoT services in sectors such as maritime, logistics, energy, agri-food, infrastructures and environmental monitoring.

Sateliot has reached an agreement with Thales Alenia Space in Spain and France to coordinate the design and development of the technologies required to offer the envisaged IoT services with 5G coverage from 2022.

In more detail, Thales Alenia Space will build on over 40 years of experience in the space sector to ensure the viability of the entire technical phase – including engineering activities and the definition of the mission and end-user needs – with the objective of guaranteeing coverage extension services to European, American, South American and even African telecommunications operators from 2022.

The agreement between Sateliot and Telespazio is aimed at promoting the development of the IoT market. In particular, Sateliot will leverage Telespazio’s experience and penetration in the international space services market to assess the main needs of customers in different sectors, while Telespazio will use Sateliot’s capabilities to boost its offering in an IoT sector that already includes global hybrid coverage based on the integration of LTE/WiFi/Lora/Satellite technologies.

This partnership confirms Telespazio’s vocation for innovation and the constant quest for increasingly advanced services for partners, customers and citizens, in-line with Leonardo’s strategy and initiatives aimed at sustainable progress in a safer world. The agreement will allow Telespazio and Sateliot to develop new IoT services in sectors such as seaborne freight, agriculture, infrastructure management and telecommunications. In the freight sector, for example, IoT sensors connected via satellite are able to offer information about the load status, allowing transport monitoring and enhanced security, while in the agricultural sector they can provide real-time data to promote sustainable crop management. IoT sensors are also one of the most promising solutions for infrastructure monitoring and management, maintenance management, traffic status control and rescue operations management after accidents.

According to Jaume Sanpera, founder and CEO of Sateliot, “this strategic agreement with The Space Alliance, formed by Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, underpins our business plan focused on two growth paths. On the one hand, through a transversal strategy with telecommunications operators. And, on the other, through a vertical business line, aimed at end customers, to whom we will facilitate the monitoring of different variables in real time for profitable decision making for their businesses“.

The objective of Sateliot’s business plan is to close 2025 with a turnover of around 236 million euros and a total workforce of over 100 people. To make this possible, Sateliot has completed two capital increases and is negotiating a new round of financing with various international funds.