5G will revolutionize the Internet of Things due to several advantages over previous generations of terrestrial networks.  With ultra-high speed (10 times faster) and low latency, 5G allows devices to collect and transmit data almost instantly, making it ideal for mission-critical IoT applications.  The increased capacity and improved reliability of 5G will also allow more devices to connect to the internet, paving the way for more advanced IoT applications.

Additionally, 5G's network slicing allows for the creation of virtualized network segments that can be optimized for specific IoT use cases, increasing the performance and efficiency of IoT deployments. But 5G  is primarily designed to improve network coverage in densely pop gated urban areas.

So far, only 8% of the world's surface is covered by 5G, compared to a more common 15% coverage by terrestrial networks. Let's  explore the growing role of satellites in the 5G future, and how close that future is to reality.

Satellites Supplement 5G Networks

Ultimately, satellites can complement 5G networks in three main ways:

1. Expand coverage to include rural and remote areas

2. Create redundancy

3. Extra return trip

While connectivity is more than just coverage, the incorporation of satellites into 5G networks provides the major benefit of complete global coverage.  Unlike traditional mobile networks and fiber optic connections that rely on infrastructure, satellites can provide connectiv city anywhere on Earth.

"While connectivity is more than just coverage, the incorporation of satellites into 5G networks offers the major benefit of full global coverage."

Additionally, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites can provide high-speed, low-latency connections. Because LEO satellites are 160-2,000 kilometers (99-1243 miles) above Earth's surface, they can provide latency as low as 20 milliseconds, similar to that achievable over terrestrial networks.

Thus, satellite connections can be used to manage time-sensitive applications, such as remote surgery or self-driving cars, where delays can have serious consequences. Additionally, the increased bandwidth could enable 5G networks to handle growing data traffic and the number of connected devices.

Despite these well-known benefits, only 2% of the global satellite connectivity market will be related to satellite IoT revenue even by 2022. So, what's changed? In short, the factors associated with two of the most common barriers to satellite connectivity adoption -- cost and complexity -- are changing.

Cost-effective satellite connection

Satellites were previously considered an expensive option of last resort, but the satellite communications industry has seen significant growth and innovation in recent years. The cost of launching a satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has dropped dramatically from $85,000 per kilogram in 1981 to $1,000 per kilogram in 2020.

The development of smaller and lighter nanosatellites and cubesats has contributed to this trend. However, due to the small size of nanosatellites and smaller coverage areas, more nanosatellites are needed to achieve global coverage. Swarm's global coverage is powered by a constellation of 150 nanosatellites, compared to the 66 satellites in the Iridium network.

Competition in the satellite communications industry is also increasing, with several new companies entering the market in the past few years alone. But many are still firing up their nano or CubeSat networks. As a result, some of these carriers will not be able to provide real-time data, or in some cases true global coverage.

For example, Astrocast and Sateliot have 18 and 12 nanosatellites in orbit, respectively, and plan to increase their overall constellations to 1,000 and 250. Simply put, some of these operators may only be able to provide IoT data a few times, or even once a day, which may not be suitable for all use cases. In these cases, companies need to be clear about the transmission frequency their project requires and carefully select a satellite network that can support that frequency.

Interoperability Opportunities and Challenges

Currently, many satellite operators require customers to use proprietary equipment to access their networks. That means buying standalone satellite transceivers designed just for the purpose -- but not always integrating directly with existing systems. Some devices will support the messaging protocol of your choice; in others, users will need to manipulate their data to be able to transmit it via satellite.

Interoperability has been a talking point in the communications industry for some time, but it wasn't until 2017 that a formal working group recommended the integration of non-terrestrial networks such as fiber optics and satellites into 5G technology.

By 2023, there will be promising developments in the direct-to-device space, such as Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X75 chipset that takes advantage of Iridium's satellite network, taking advantage of satellite connections without the need for additional sim cards or hardware.

However, as the number of wireless connectivity options increases, interoperability of connectivity for IoT deployments becomes more complex. 5G NR (New Radio), NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) and LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network), to name a few.

Since interoperability must be built into satellites prior to launch, satellite network operators essentially need to choose which protocols or/and standards they believe will be around for the long haul. After all, it's not uncommon for terrestrial networks to cease service for certain generations, as 2G and 3G currently do.

In addition, there are still some challenges and constraints to be addressed, especially regulatory issues such as spectrum allocation that need to be overcome.

The Future: Hybrid, Ubiquitous Coverage

There is a growing trend of terrestrial and satellite IoT network operators collaborating to provide hybrid connectivity solutions. For example, Kinéis and Deutsche Telekom have partnered to provide a hybrid cellular-satellite solution, with Kinéis' KIM 1 module certified by Deutsche Telekom for use by Deutsche Telekom's customers.

Additionally, many satellite IoT devices, such as the RockREMOTE Rugged, can utilize both cellular and satellite connections. In both cases, separate SIM cards are required for cellular and satellite connections, and the device will use a terrestrial connection when available, switching to satellite when terrestrial coverage is not available.

In addition, new technologies are emerging that provide terrestrial and satellite connectivity through a single communications radio frequency (RF) chipset. An example is the LoRa Edge LR1120, which supports Sub-GHz LoRa, SATCOM S-band, and 2.4 GHz LoRa.

While fully interoperable network solutions are still years away, more established satellite operators are considering partnerships to diversify their offerings. Bryan Hartin, executive vice president of McLean, Va.-based Iridium, spoke of the success of the Qualcomm partnership in a recent interview, saying, “There might be an NB-IoT player that we can say okay, just to spread out a little bit. Our influence, we can consider investing in one or two of them."

5G and Satellite

Ultimately, reliable connectivity is key to the success of any IoT deployment, and satellite technology is already being used in numerous applications, including precision agriculture, logistics, and healthcare. Continued investment and collaboration in this area will be critical to realizing the full potential of satellite-based IoT networks. Until then, the combination of satellite and 5G networks can still provide businesses and organizations with great flexibility to realize the full potential of space.