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The beginning of the end for dead zones?

Plus, this week's top stories from IoT For All

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IoT For All
March 27, 2025

Hello readers,

Welcome to the IoT For All newsletter! This week we’re talking about the surge of development in satellite connectivity, Remote SIM Provisioning for IoT devices, smart medical sensors, and more!

Look up

The dawn of satellite internet dates back to the mid-90s, charging into a world dominated by dial-up. It’s been an important communications tool since then, but for years it remained mostly niche.

That’s changing fast.

This year, T-Mobile launched a pilot program in partnership with direct-to-cell provider Starlink. Now, Verizon is bringing satellite connectivity to select Android smartphones.

Extraterrestrial infrastructure is expanding as well. This week the Spanish government announced it’s backing Sateliot, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite provider developing space-based IoT connectivity under the 5G protocol to the tune of €13 million. Last week, the successful launch of five satellites completed a new constellation for French IoT company Kinéis.

The appeal is straightforward. In a world where constant connectivity is increasingly table stakes for many industries, the wide swaths of the Earth that lack terrestrial coverage are becoming a bigger problem. Satellite connectivity helps fill that gap, especially as it becomes increasingly practical. Standardization from 3GPP is improving interoperability between cellular and satellite systems, with the upcoming releases set to streamline communications between GEO, MEO and LEO satellite networks.

It all adds up to a market poised for potentially explosive growth, with some industry projections anticipating as much as 5x growth over the coming three years.

As ever, there’s no shortage of hurdles. A completely and seamless satellite network will require a wide variety of technologies, all of which involve hardware in literal space which can be moving over 10,000 mph. But the direction is clear—Satellite IoT is no longer a backup plan. It’s becoming central to how we think about IoT coverage, resilience, and global scale. The sky isn’t the limit—it’s the network.

📖 Top Articles

There’s a lot of excitement around the latest Remote SIM Provisioning standard, named after its specification published by the GSMA mid 2024: SGP.32. Let’s go through the standard and provides an update on its market adoption.

Medical technology is becoming more patient-centric, enhancing how individuals receive care and manage their health. Medical sensors are at the heart of this transformation, empowering patients and healthcare providers with real-time data for more informed decision-making. These small yet powerful devices enable continuous monitoring, early disease detection, and remote care, allowing for proactive treatment rather than reactive intervention. 

Operators rely on connectivity for everything from automatic passenger counting and digital video surveillance to real-time monitoring and remote diagnostics. But the quality of on-train Internet is highly dependent on the communications networks along the route—and there are still vast areas where the capacity of those networks falls short of the needs of a full passenger train.

🔥 Rapid Fire

🎙️ The IoT For All Podcast

No new podcast this week, but check out of last edition where we spoke with Martin Nord, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Com4, to discuss navigating modern IoT connectivity. The conversation covers key connectivity challenges across industries, the impact of iSIM and multi-IMSI, customer-centric IoT strategies, satellite IoT, the transformative potential of IoT and AI, low-power wide-area networks, and understanding total cost of ownership for successful IoT deployments.

🗓️ Events & Webinars

TechEx Events | Santa Clara, CA

From smart factories to digital twins, the potential to de-risk operations while optimising costs has never been greater. The IoT Tech Expo North America will provide invaluable insights into successful projects and their key drivers. You'll uncover use cases you hadn't considered, identify pitfalls you weren't aware of, and most importantly, stay ahead of the curve.

Reader discount code: TECHEX20

June 4-5, 2025