Inmarsat is today launching a new IoT spectrum leasing service for satellite IoT start-ups and organisations providing IoT solutions over satellite. The IoT Leasing service provides IoT solution providers with the ability to build flexible, virtual satellite networks harnessing Inmarsat’s ELERA global L-band network, the leading satellite network for the internet of things. The new offering is enabled by Inmarsat’s ground-breaking Dynamic Lease Management capabilities, delivering to providers the ability to flexibly alter their virtual satellite networks, depending on their business need.

Traditional spectrum leasing services offer satellite solution providers with static access to a particular beam or set of beams for a contracted timeframe, so they can deliver an end-to-end solution to their customers. This means that satellite solution providers are not able to flex their leased, virtual satellite network in response to anticipated demand or to easily expand into new territories to take advantage of time-driven opportunities. For many satellite IoT solution providers, this necessitates further investments in different geographical beams.

Inmarsat’s new IoT Leasing service, with Dynamic Lease Management, allows customers to change the geographical focus of the beams they lease – and the bandwidth and power it provides. Rather than paying for static access in every beam they operate in and having to make hard business decisions as to which regions to expand to, IoT solution providers can now control how much coverage they need depending on their business needs and customer demand. This new approach to leasing will help reduce expenditure on network infrastructure, savings they can then pass on to their customers or use to focus on product development.

For IoT satellite start-ups, IoT Leasing offers an alternative to the creation of a new satellite constellation. A new satellite constellation of even a modest size requires a multi-million-dollar investment and takes years to launch, while also being costly to maintain. Even once they are operational, small constellations will lack the flexibility, reliability and coverage of Inmarsat’s award-winning ELERA global network. Inmarsat’s IoT Leasing service with Dynamic Lease Management, enables total control over a virtual satellite network, built on ELERA, with significant cost savings, allowing start-ups to focus on perfecting their customer-facing solutions. Additionally, for investors in IoT satellite start-ups, IoT Leasing represents an attractive option to avoid pouring millions in capital expenditure on a new satellite network at an early stage of a business’ development.

Mike Carter, President, Inmarsat Enterprise: “Many IoT solution providers feel they must invest in their own satellites to deliver IoT everywhere, but this simply isn’t the case – and can be too much, too soon. When it comes to connecting your operations in remote locations, there’s no better option than satellite connectivity delivered via our ELERA global network.

“With our new IoT Leasing service, our customers can focus on what they do best – be that developing hardware, applications, or customer experience – and leave us to provide reliable, seamless satellite connectivity. We’re thrilled to be able to support more and more businesses around the world to achieve their ambitions, removing the connectivity worries that too often hold businesses back.”