Satellite comms provider Iridium Communications is inviting device makers, chipmakers, mobile operators, and IoT developers to have their say on the functionality of its developing NB-IoT satellite network. The US firm has convened a consultancy operation as part of its non-terrestrial network (NTN) service, called Project Stardust, with a view to prime it for rapid development of consumer and enterprise IoT projects.
Iridium is in the “early stages” of deploying NB-IoT, based on the 5G NR specifications for NTN (satellite) connectivity, on its existing low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. The company anticipates testing to begin in 2025, and the service to go live in 2026. It said the intervening period “offers a special opportunity [for sundry players in the IoT ecosystem] to have their requirements woven into the fabric of the Iridium network”.
