IoT-as-a-service firm Hiber is teaming up with global satellite network operator Inmarsat to provide the satellite connectivity infrastructure on which Hiber will offer low-cost, low-power network for IoT products and services.
The agreement comes about two months after Inmarsat unveiled its L-band ELERA network, aimed at supporting the IoT needs of globally-distributed companies and ecosystems in sectors like transportation, logistics, agriculture, mining, and others.
Hiber announced its initial plans for asset tracking service last June, saying it would use a proprietary satellite network. Under the agreement with Inmarsat, Hiber said this week that it “will continue using its own proprietary protocols that allow for ultra-low power and low data consumption levels to connect to Inmarsat’s ELERA network and power its IoT solutions.”
The company also said the ELERA infrastructure will allow it to “support a range of new industrial IoT applications and provide its customers with reliable, affordable connectivity—even in areas without dependable cellular or Wi-Fi network availability.”
In an email to Fierce Electronics, Hiber further added that the partnership “allows us to gain years in satellite connectivity development. Inmarsat's L-band IoT network allows us to serve more customers in more remote locations by supporting use cases that were impossible prior to this partnership. We also gain immediate worldwide market access with less regulatory risk, which means we can focus on delivering our customers superior IoT products and services that are easy to buy, easy to install, and easy to use.”
For Inmarsat’s part, the company has been quick to promote ELERA as a backbone for evolving IoT needs. Last month, Inmarsat released its own research showing that 77% of enterprise organizations it surveyed have completed at least one IoT project, with 84% saying they have accelerated adoption of IoT in response to business trends resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Inmarsat also has leveraged ELERA to launch Velaris, a connectivity service for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles.