New report from the world’s leading IoT analyst firm, sponsored by Globalstar, identifies a new segmentation of the diverse field of satellite-based IoT reflecting the requirement to pair the correct vendor proposition with the diverse needs of different IoT applications.
The use of satellites to connect IoT devices is nothing new. Historically this has been focused on the tracking of high value assets in remote areas where there are no options for using terrestrial cellular networks. In recent years the technology capabilities have evolved significantly and the cost to serve highly geographically remote use cases has fallen, resulting in a continued growth in the adoption of satellite IoT. However, such an assessment misses the immense diversity. There is a wide array of different IoT applications that might be effectively addressed with satellite connectivity, each with their own characteristics. At the same time there are also a diverse set of technologies and propositions that are delivered via satellite.
In a new White Paper ‘Rethinking satellite IoT: how spectrum, architecture and technology define addressable markets’ sponsored by Globalstar, Transforma Insights explores the evolving satellite IoT landscape, and how it is critical to rethink the segmentation of the market based on two key dimensions: application characteristics and vendor propositions to address them. Any assessment of the space must take account of this application/proposition fit.
The report starts by examining the diverse use cases that comprise satellite IoT, including agriculture, logistics, mining, transportation, and energy, and subsequently identifying a series of characteristics of those use cases that dictate how they are best addressed, including geography, data volumes, latency, cost and energy efficiency. It then considers the reverse aspect of market segmentation: the capabilities of satellite propositions, spanning subjects such as protocol types, spectrum access, constellations, architectures (including consideration of the bent-pipe architecture as a platform for innovation) and maturity of propositions. In so doing it identifies which characteristics of satellite connectivity propositions are most critical for addressing the requirements of the IoT applications, and thus ensuring application/proposition fit.
Commenting on the findings, author Matt Hatton said: “One of the perennial issues with IoT is thinking of it as a single homogenous thing. That is clearly not the case. All applications have their own demands and restrictions within which they must operate. This is doubly the case for satellite-based IoT where the deployment parameters often vary wildly, along with the capabilities of the propositions to address them.”
The free White Paper ‘Rethinking satellite IoT: how spectrum, architecture and technology define addressable markets’ from Transforma Insights proposes a rethink of the segmentation of the satellite IoT market based on two key dimensions: application characteristics and vendor propositions to address them. Any assessment of the space must take account of this application/proposition fit. In the first section of the report we examine the diverse use cases that comprise satellite IoT. The next section looks at the main characteristics of those applications that will dictate the degree to which they are addressable, or not, by different satellite propositions. Finally, we consider the third key element: what are the characteristics of vendor propositions (and particularly the technologies that they use) that make them appropriate for addressing those requirements. It also includes a four case studies exploring the diversity of satellite use cases across logistics, energy and agriculture. The report is sponsored by Globalstar.
If you have questions concerning the methodology or the report, don’t hesitate to contact our analysts via enquiries@transformainsights.com.
In addition to the published White Paper, on the 11th November, IoT experts from Transforma Insights and Globalstar will deliver a Webinar ‘Rethinking satellite IoT: how spectrum, architecture and technology define addressable markets’, which will further explore the issues covered in the report.
During the webinar, Matt Hatton, Founding Partner of Transforma Insights, and Martin Jefferson, Global Solutions Architect at Globalstar, will address topics including:
The webinar will take place at 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm UK / 5pm Central Europe.
More details and registration link can be found on the Transforma Insights Events Page.
