IoT. It’s going to be huge, and we’re only just scratching the surface of its potential. The integration of devices across homes, businesses and industry is going to be completely transformative.
The IoT market is experiencing exponential growth as a result of the rush to digitalize and the promise of 5G, but the stars for IoT are also aligning in terms of the advancements that are being made in sensor technologies and Big Data management.
It’s important to note that a fully realized IoT ecosystem will require more than one type of connectivity. The growing number of different IoT applications use a diversity of data types, capacity bandwidth, latency and speed requirements and there are additional nuances for each application served. Within this spectrum of possibilities and unique needs, satellite plays a critical role, filling gaps that no other technology is properly equipped to handle. Analysts predict that as a market, Satellite IoT is poised to grow to $1.1 billion in revenue by 2027. And that is because terrestrial connectivity has many limitations. This is leading to an increase in adoption of satellite IoT across a myriad of markets.
Satellite has no boundaries. It can be deployed anywhere and is up and running rapidly. Whether it’s a fixed or mobile asset, it provides a reliable solution. Adopters of Satellite IoT are looking for affordable, ultra-reliable, low latency connectivity with greater transparency and ease of operations. Therefore, Service Providers require networks that are easy to plan, install and operate with terminals that are low-cost and rapidly deployed for fast revenue generation and OPEX reduction.
With this in mind, ST Engineering iDirect has launched a range of flexible IoT Solutions to supplement our highly successful platforms and to ease the entry of service providers into the IoT market by reducing the upfront capital investments and operational complexity usually required to launch an IoT platform and service. Our IoT Solution provides customers with a complete connectivity solution that’s built on a flexible service enablement platform paired with IoT-as-a-service options for fixed and mobile IoT environments.
The market opportunity
Transportation, which includes land, rail, maritime and aero, is by far the largest satellite IoT vertical due to satellite’s reach, reliability, and added security benefits. Cargo and asset tracking management applications are the greatest drivers, due to the growing number of sensors and terminals combined with the associated analytics and insights. IoT provides a highly effective solution for asset tracking, fleet management, telematics and analysis of the mobile workforce.
In the Oil and Gas sector, the use cases for IoT are numerous. Use cases include SCADA pipeline monitoring, equipment telematics, predictive and preventative maintenance and beyond line of sight monitoring for pipeline inspections.
For the Energy sector, IoT provides continuous monitoring of electricity distribution networks for voltage fluctuations, outages and peaks in service demand. This also applies to water networks, in terms of flow and pressure. IoT can also replace the need for on-site technicians for advanced meter reading, track assets and offer drone beyond line of sight for power line inspection.
In Mining, IoT provides asset tracking of trucks, trailers and heavy equipment, site operations including safety and security and drone beyond line of sight for inspection purposes.
Construction is another sector that holds big potential for satellite IoT. It is used for asset tracking offering intelligence on engine hours, mileage report alerts, fuel consumption and location. On construction sites it gives important insight into operations, most notably safety and critical area monitoring as well as to track progress and security on site. Again, drone line of sight use applications enable easy inspection or survey.
As demand for sustainable farming practices increases, Agriculture, namely precision farming, is becoming increasingly popular. Satellite IoT has an integral role to play here to help analyze different aspects of the farm such as soil, harvest and crop management, fertilizer monitoring and, greenhouse and open field management. Important environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, wind speed, CO2, power production and consumption of solar panels can be closely watched. Water telematics for flow, pressure and irrigation systems result in precise irrigation of the land. IoT can also be utilized for livestock tracking and asset tracking for farm machinery as well and drone beyond line of sight for inspection of crops.
Your turn to unlock the potential
To enable you to unlock the huge potential across these markets, we are offering flexible IoT Solutions on our existing ST Engineering iDirect hub infrastructure that ease the entry of Service Providers into the IoT market. Our new IoT Solutions offering provides customers with a pathway to satellite IoT by using their existing hub infrastructure paired with cost-effective terminals and optimized waveforms. And what’s more, we are also providing optional service enablement solutions giving Service Providers IoT-as-a-Service options to speed up market entry.
A Simple Solution with Fast Time to Market
As we move into the Industry 4.0 and begin to realize the plethora of opportunities that advanced technologies such as 5G, edge computing, automation, orchestration and virtualization bring to the table, here is an opportunity to obtain a complete connectivity solution from a single, trusted source.
ST Engineering iDirect is now Your Key to IoT.
To find out more, visit our IoT page, where you can expand your knowledge and make your IoT ambitions a reality.