US based startup UbiquitiLink plans to launch a network of low earth orbit satellites that will support communications to and from standard cellphones and IoT devices using NB-IoT over most of the earth’s surface.
In terrestrial networks cellphone range is limited to about 35kms but this is a fixed limit built into the technology, not a signal propagation limit. UbiquitiLink says it has overcome this enabling phones to communicate with its satellites in orbit at a height of 500kms.
However the function of its system depends on a number of other technical achievements.
UbiquitiLink plans a wholesale only business model where existing mobile network operators will resell its services. To achieve this its satellites must be able to change frequencies as the pass over the region where each partner operates.
With the satellites travelling at several thousand kilometres per hour the doppler shift will significantly change the frequency at which a signal transmitted from the satellite is received by a cellphone, and vice versa.
There will be a further complication in that the shift experienced by each cellphone within a satellite’s footprint will depend on its location relative to that satellite.
Patented technology
UbiquitiLink CEO Charles Miller, told IoTAustralia that the company had solved all these challenges “It’s part of our original patent of 2017,” he said.
UbiquitiLink presently has a test satellite in orbit that it says has enabled it to demonstrate the viability of its technology. It plans to launch a second test payload in July and is looking for funding that will enable it to launch an initial network of 24 to 36 nanosatellites.
These, it says, will provide coverage between latitudes 55 degrees north and provide service of about one minute every hour within the coverage area.
It plans to have several thousand satellites in orbit by 2023 that it says will enable continuous coverage.
Miller said the company had no plans to significantly extend the coverage are. (Fifty five degrees south would cover Australia and New Zealand and all but the tip of South America. Fifty five degrees North would leave Scotland, Scandinavia and much of Canada without coverage.
Australian MNO partners
Miller said UbiquitiLink had already signed trial partnerships with 24 companies, including 18 mobile network operators representing approximately one billion mobile phone subscribers. “We have more than one partner in Australia testing with us,” he said.
He said the company was in discussion with a number of potential Series A investors and looking to raise a minimum $US30m
“We have a bunch of potential Series A investors, but we are not in a big rush to close that round,” he said. “We have financing to see us to the end of the year and we are doing tests that will push up the valuation of the company.”
He said the company was about 18 months away from closing Series A funding and expected to have a commercial service by the end of 2020.
Its tests earlier this year used frequencies in the 820-960MHz ban. Miller said the further tests planned for July would use frequencies between 700MHz and 960MHz and the commercial service frequencies between 600MHz and 960MHz.
“The plan is that a user’s phone would automatically connect to UbiquitiLink when outside terrestrial cellular coverage,” he said.
He also expects IoT to be a significant part of UbiquitiLink’s business.
“We absolutely intend to support NB-IoT in the future. … We think the arrival of our system will make NB-IoT easily and clearly the best solution for IoT on a nationwide basis.”
