Global IoT Satellite Connectivity Market

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Mega-constellations, Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) Integration, and Ecosystem Collaboration Boost the Future Growth Potential of IoT Satellite Connectivity

The IoT satellite connectivity market is gaining traction worldwide with advances in low earth orbit (LEO) mega-constellation construction and launch. The IoT ecosystem is adopting LEO satellite technology for its advantages, such as cost reduction and new revenue stream creation.

Collaboration between standards, which include low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) and cellular IoT, is propelling growth in the market. Businesses are deploying hybrid terrestrial and satellite networks due to the benefits of dual-mode capability in enabling new IoT use cases in areas with deficient LPWAN and/or cellular network coverage or enhanced connectivity resiliency. For example, proprietary LPWAN (e.g., LoRaWAN®, RPMA®, and Sigfox) and cellular IoT (NB-IoT) have been integrated with satellite networks in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The IoT satellite ecosystem is developing; however, 84.5% of the connections are with 4 IoT satellite network operators, which are Inmarsat, Iridium, Orbcomm, and Globalstar. In the ecosystem, some start-ups leverage LEO satellites to provide connectivity for IoT devices. Other start-ups use LEO satellites to connect devices with LPWAN (e.g., Skylo offers NB-IoT-based connectivity) or integrate satellite networks with LPWAN technology (e.g., Swarm Technologies delivers satellite connectivity integrating Semtech's LoRa® technology, or Ingenu, a start-up, builds LEO satellites to host its RPMA® technology).

Other traditional satellite operators offer satellite connectivity for IoT use cases to expand cellular connectivity in remote locations with leading telecom operators (e.g., Intelsat, which signed separate deals with Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, and TIM).

Research Scope

This study describes how the IoT satellite connectivity market is evolving in terms of connected devices and subscriptions. It covers the main drivers and restraints affecting the market, company profiles of the most relevant participants, and telco initiatives on satellite IoT.

In addition, this report discusses the following growth opportunities:

• Livestock monitoring with IoT-enabled tags
• Integrated fleet management solutions
• Oil and gas industry pipeline monitoring