Key Insights (AI-assisted):
Deutsche Telekom’s transfer alerts that satellite-to-cellular IoT is shifting from area of interest pilots to standardized, roaming-based service fashions. By proving multi-orbit NB-NTN on industrial 3GPP {hardware}, it pressures different operators and module distributors to align on interoperable, SIM-based architectures fairly than proprietary stacks. The mixture of GEO and a number of LEO constellations additionally foreshadows a future the place protection, latency, and resilience turn out to be configurable connectivity parameters purchased as a portfolio, not a single community. This improvement accelerates convergence between terrestrial mobile and non-terrestrial networks in mainstream IoT deployments.
Deutsche Telekom launches world’s first multi-orbit IoT roaming
- Deutsche Telekom is world’s first community operator to supply IoT connectivity by way of each GEO and LEO satellites
- Seamless, dependable NB-IoT protection throughout terrestrial cellular and satellite tv for pc networks
- Modern purposes realized on commonplace {hardware}
Deutsche Telekom has reached one other milestone in international connectivity: because the world’s first cellular community operator, it now permits multi-orbit roaming for the Web of Issues (IoT).
The brand new answer ensures that IoT gadgets can transmit their knowledge seamlessly and worldwide— both by way of terrestrial cellular networks or by way of satellite tv for pc, relying on the state of affairs.
Multi-orbit roaming has now been demonstrated utilizing a industrial NB-IoT machine that operates throughout geostationary (GEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in addition to terrestrial networks.
The answer connects Deutsche Telekom’s international IoT community (NB-IoT and LTE-M) with satellite tv for pc companies from a number of companions: Skylo, being DT’s first satellite tv for pc service supplier, offers protection in geostationary orbit, whereas Sateliot and OQ Expertise deal with radio connectivity to LEO satellites.
Jens Olejak, Head of Satellite tv for pc IoT at Deutsche Telekom IoT, says:
“This establishes Deutsche Telekom as the leading global network operator offering IoT connectivity across multiple satellite orbits, both technically and commercially.”
Moreover, within the second half of 2026, Deutsche Telekom’s accomplice Iridium’s NTN Direct will turn out to be out there to DT’s enterprise prospects for IoT purposes.
Iridium’s LEO constellation, recognized for its confirmed reliability and actually international protection, will additional improve Deutsche Telekom’s non-terrestrial roaming footprint.
Extra protection, extra resilience, extra flexibility
Multi-orbit combines the strengths of various satellite tv for pc varieties.
Resulting from their mounted place at an altitude of roughly 36,000 kilometers, GEO satellites enable steady protection and allow actual time, steady connections.
LEO satellites, then again, transfer rapidly however can present higher protection at excessive latitudes and in mountainous areas, in addition to enabling decrease latency and better knowledge charges.
Collectively, GEO and LEO create dependable IoT connectivity even in probably the most distant areas.
Early Adopter Program: Prototyping the subsequent era of IoT
After its preliminary Early Adopter Program with Skylo in 2024, Deutsche Telekom launched a second prototyping initiative for Satellite tv for pc IoT in 2025.
The Multi-Orbit Early Adopter Program focuses on creating IoT options that mix terrestrial cellular and satellite tv for pc connectivity throughout GEO and LEO.
This system brings collectively 15 corporations and 5 analysis establishments and is supported by companions together with Sateliot, OQ Expertise, Skylo, Nordic Semiconductor and KYOCERA AVX.
Three examples from this system illustrate the added worth of multi-orbit roaming:
Distant Asset Administration for Essential Infrastructure Operations (Datakorum)
The Spanish expertise firm Datakorum is utilizing next-generation connectivity to assist the distant operation of important infrastructure property worldwide.
Its answer permits real-time monitoring of key parameters resembling high quality, stress, and system standing throughout water, power, and oil and fuel infrastructure—even in distant areas with out cellular protection.
Past monitoring, operators can remotely management area tools resembling valves and actuators by way of radio hyperlinks, enhancing response instances and operational effectivity.
To make sure resilience in mission-critical environments, the answer leverages LEO satellites as a backup connectivity layer.
Datakorum has built-in terrestrial and non-terrestrial radio applied sciences right into a single product based mostly on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 module.
Maritime monitoring & EU regulation (EMA / BlueTraker):
Underneath the model BlueTraker, the Slovenian firm EMA offers monitoring options for fishing vessels and service provider ships.
“Hybrid connectivity” – the mix of satellite tv for pc and cellular networks – ensures that vessels can reliably report their place and standing even on the open sea.
That is notably essential given new EU rules: sooner or later, even small vessels beneath twelve meters in size might be required to have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) put in on board.
Deutsche Telekom’s satellite tv for pc NB-IoT (NB-NTN) possibility is a cheap and scalable commonplace answer for this goal, enabling even massive fleets of small boats to be networked with out the necessity for costly particular expertise.
Autonomous AI-Imaginative and prescient-Sensor (MountAIn):
With IBEX, French firm MountAIn is bringing clever picture processing to distant areas that haven’t but been reliably linked.
Autonomous AI imaginative and prescient sensor processes picture knowledge instantly on website (“edge AI”) and detects occasions resembling forest fires, safety-related incidents in industrial services, or dangers to important infrastructure in actual time.
The opportunity of NB-IoT satellite tv for pc connections ensures that warning messages and working knowledge are reliably out there even in distant areas, offering the resilience required for safety-critical purposes.
Since solely related standing and alarm knowledge is transmitted, the answer additionally works with a narrowband web connection.
Technical background
Deutsche Telekom and its companions validated multi-orbit connectivity on commercially out there commonplace {hardware}.
Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 is the primary 3GPP-compliant mobile IoT module to assist terrestrial NB-IoT/LTE-M in addition to NB-NTN over GEO and LEO.
In checks, the module established a direct connection by way of Sateliot’s LEO satellites utilizing a Deutsche Telekom SIM card—demonstrating that roaming between terrestrial cellular networks and LEO satellites works.
As well as, connectivity by way of Skylo (GEO) is already operationally utilized by prospects, whereas integration with OQ Expertise (LEO) has additionally been validated as a part of accomplice actions.
Iridium (LEO) is at present being built-in and validated and can turn out to be out there later this yr.
For satellite tv for pc connectivity, the antennas used should assist the related 3GPP satellite tv for pc frequency bands n249, n255 and n256.
These frequency bands are a prerequisite for working NB-NTN over GEO and LEO satellites.
Appropriate antenna options are already out there from producers resembling KYOCERA AVX, enabling machine producers to construct on current parts right this moment and develop new multi-orbit NB-IoT options.
