Satellite IoT and 3GPP NTN

What is Satellite IoT?

Satellite IoT refers to the use of satellites to enable communication and data exchange between IoT devices, particularly in areas where traditional connectivity options such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or LPWA networks are unavailable.

Historically, satellite connectivity required proprietary hardware, specialized modems, and completely separate device architectures. This significantly increased cost and complexity, limiting adoption to niche or mission-critical applications.

3GPP Release 17 and Satellite NTN

Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) is a term defined by 3GPP to describe network infrastructure operating above the Earth’s surface, including satellites and other airborne platforms. NTN extends traditional terrestrial cellular networks by enabling connectivity through space-based or aerial systems.

3GPP Release 17 introduces standardized support for NTN, allowing satellite connectivity to be integrated into the cellular ecosystem. The framework includes:

  • NR-NTN for broadband applications based on 5G New Radio
  • IoT NTN for LPWA technologies such as NB-IoT and LTE-M

Release 17 enables these cellular technologies to operate over satellite links using standardized 3GPP protocols. Devices designed with Release 17 NTN capability can support both terrestrial and satellite connectivity within a unified architecture.  This standardization enables:

  • Integration of satellite connectivity into the cellular ecosystem
  • Devices to prioritize terrestrial connectivity and fall back to satellite when coverage is unavailable (when supported by device configuration)
  • Reduced dependence on proprietary satellite-specific device architectures

Instead of requiring separate satellite-only hardware platforms, compatible devices can extend coverage using standardized 3GPP NTN specifications. This convergence reduces deployment complexity and supports scalable global IoT connectivity.

Satellite Orbit Types

3GPP NTN supports different orbit types. For NTN IoT deployments, the most common are:

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

  • Altitude: ~400–2,000 km
  • Lower latency than GEO
  • Typically supports better responsiveness and shorter round-trip delays

Geostationary Orbit (GEO)

  • Altitude: ~35,786 km
  • Very wide coverage per satellite
  • Higher latency due to distance

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