The next frontier for IoT is outer space
The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding to outer space, with a growing industry of providers such as Viasat-Inmarsat, HughesNet, Starlink, and others offering connectivity between devices on Earth and satellites. This new frontier for IoT presents a unique capability, as it can potentially serve any location on Earth, including oceans and seas that make up over 70% of the Earth’s surface.
In the past, the high cost of building, launching, and operating satellites has made them unattainable for all but large enterprises and government agencies. However, advances in technology have made it possible to build smaller, cheaper satellites, known as CubeSats, which have made it more accessible for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
The shipping industry was one of the first to take advantage of satellite-based IoT, as it allows for the tracking of ships across the globe. Other target markets include government and civilian agencies that monitor illegal fishing, wildlife poaching, and oil tankers, as well as farmers who can manage their operations remotely. The fossil fuel industry is also a potential market due to its geographically diverse infrastructure that requires near real-time monitoring.
Satellite-based IoT solutions have the advantage of providing capabilities to remote locations anywhere there is power, and because equipment and service costs are relatively low, they can be used by nations without massive financial resources. Applications for satellite-based IoT are diverse and continue to expand, including animal tracking, water and vehicle monitoring, wildfire detection, biodiversity management, and many more.
In conclusion, the next frontier for IoT is outer space, and the satellite industry is poised to play a significant role in expanding the capabilities of IoT to remote locations around the world. With the potential to serve any location on Earth, it can provide valuable data and insights that were once unattained.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is now reaching outer space with the emergence of a new industry focused on providing connectivity between devices on Earth to satellites and back to data centers on Earth for processing and analysis. This new frontier for IoT offers the unique capability of potentially being able to serve any location on Earth, including oceans and seas that make up over 70% of the Earth's surface.
The satellite industry has traditionally been too expensive for most enterprises and government agencies, but advances in technology have made it possible to build smaller, cheaper satellites known as CubeSats. Companies like SpaceX have made it possible for smaller companies to build smallsats and add application-specific payloads for their customers, who can deploy them by piggybacking on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
The shipping industry, government and civilian agencies, farmers, and the fossil fuel industry are all potential target markets for satellite-based IoT solutions. Applications range from tracking ships, monitoring illegal fishing and wildlife poaching, managing irrigation systems and silos, monitoring oil tankers, tracking animals, detecting wildfires, and managing biodiversity.
One of the key advantages of satellite-based solutions is that they can provide capabilities to remote locations anywhere there is power, and because equipment and service costs are comparatively low, they can be exploited by nations without massive financial resources. However, it also adds to the already overwhelming number of choices for those implementing IoT on a large scale, and like all the other options, it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
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