Photo: Omnispace

Omnispace reported it has demonstrated a 5G narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) connectivity over the company’s Omnispace F2 satellite. The demonstration took place with partners Gatehouse Satcom and Nordic Semiconductor, Omnispace announced May 28. 

As part of the demonstration, a 5G NB-IoT signal was successfully transmitted over the Omnispace F2 satellite in Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO). The trial demonstrated the successful transmission and reception of data by five terminals served by the Omnispace satellite. The demo used Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 cellular IoT module, which is designed for connectivity over satellite. 

Omnispace said “this milestone proves the viability of satellite-based 5G NB-IoT communications using NGSO satellites and transparent payload architectures.” 

“This demonstration marks a key step in making global, seamless 5G IoT connectivity a reality,” said Ram Viswanathan, president and CEO at Omnispace. “Working with Gatehouse Satcom and Nordic Semiconductor, we are demonstrating what’s possible for the future of global communications including powerful NGSO satellite solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing 5G terrestrial cellular networks.”

This type of connectivity enables IoT devices to connect via satellite in remote areas, and could support use cases like asset tracking, remote monitoring, and industrial IoT, commented Kristian Sæther, product director of Long-Range at Nordic Semiconductor.