The technological challenges faced by IoT satellites

A bunch of satellite IoT technologies are being developed and tested, and some of them are already in the commercial phase but standardization is still needed to see massive deployment, especially in Latin America, says a specialist.

"Although there is progress in that standardization, they [the satellite technologies] aren't proven," Alejandro Popovsky, engineering dean at Argentina's Universidad de Palermo, told BNamericas. 

The engineering laboratory at the university has a project underway to develop a low-orbit IoT satellite, LABSAT IoT, to test technologies. The project is being developed in collaboration with engineering professionals' organization Copitec and its Fundetec foundation. 

"The next technologies for rural services, satellite, IoT services aren't fully standardized," said Popovsky. "Services that are more widespread are those for user devices that consume a lot of electricity, with larger antennas. But providing services for simple devices with small batteries and small antennas that need to last for years... those are not so widespread and aren't yet tested."

Once the satellite is in orbit, the laboratory will test IoT services in different scenarios, in remote and low-density areas, both on land and at sea. 

Popovsky said there is a need for technical and commercial verification. "Some technologies could be cheaper, others easier to integrate into public or private networks, others can be more robust or better performing… all of those things will mark the competition," he added. 

The satellite being developed at the university can work with several standards for cellular and IoT communications like narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), LoRa and Sigfox.

As standardization organizations like 3GPP progress in satellite IoT standards, the laboratory is broadening the satellite scope to include new standards. 

At the beginning of the project, the laboratory worked on tests with one Argentine cellular operator, but the name cannot be disclosed because of confidentiality agreements. 

The tests include the integration of satellites into the cellular network. 

Popovsky said it is possible to continue working with the same operator during the operations phase of the satellite. 

LABSAT IoT satellite

The LABSAT IoT satellite project received an initial contribution from the innovation, economy and knowledge secretariat in 2021 but most of the project is being financed by Palermo university. 

Popovsky said the satellite cost around US$450,000 excluding operating costs. 

The majority of the satellite's components are being manufactured in the electronic communications, satellite and robotics laboratories of the university's engineering faculty. 

Only some parts are being manufactured externally. Solar panels are being integrated in the laboratory of atomic power commission CNEA and one of the antennas – the satellite has three – is being made at the technical research for defense institute CITEDEF. 

"We have almost all the satellite modules already developed and assembled here, except for a few that are in the manufacturing stage. We're testing the modules and ensuring their individual operation and starting the integration between them as well to ensure all the interoperability of the modules," Popovsky said. 

Palermo university has partnered with SpaceX to launch the satellite in mid-2026. 

"We need to ensure that everything works correctly six months before the launch," he said. 

Low-orbit satellites have a life expectancy of two years.