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On Wednesday, Omnispace, a Washington D.C.-based 5G satellite communications developer whose investors and partners include TMT venture capital firm Columbia Capital, alternative investment manager Fortress and Intelsat, announced a partnership with Oxfordshire, UK-based space-tech firm Lacuna Space to develop groundbreaking connectivity for IoT devices.
The companies will partner on the commercial launch of what they are calling a first-of-its-kind, global, open-standards-based IoT network, using the LoRaWAN protocol to support direct-to-satellite communications for a broad range of IoT devices. The protocol will utilize the LR-FHSS technology, specifically designed for high-capacity IoT networks — with on-orbit operation validated by Lacuna through several years of non-geostationary satellite testing and optimization.
Using Omnispace’s licensed, 2GHz S-band spectrum rights, and integrating Omnispace and Lacuna infrastructure, the service will allow devices to connect seamlessly between existing terrestrial networks and previously un-connected regions around the globe.
“Omnispace is reimagining mobile communications for users by employing standards-based solutions to deliver global, real-time connectivity,” Omnispace President and CEO Ram Viswanathan said in a comment on the partnership. “We’re pleased to be working with Lacuna to introduce this new enterprise-class service, which is part of our broader vision to deliver seamless terrestrial and satellite communications.”
“We are happy to announce this agreement with Omnispace, which accelerates getting our technology to market and enables us to start delivering our IoT services around the globe,” Lacuna CEO Rob Spurrett added. “Our customers will be able to access Lacuna’s IoT service directly from inexpensive, battery-powered LoRa® devices to extend connectivity to even the most remote areas of the world.”
This joint Omnispace and Lacuna effort will begin serving customers and distribution partners in the third quarter of 2022, powering asset tracking, fleet management and data collection across global industry verticals. The two companies will leverage the LoRaWAN standard that is capable of bridging terrestrial networks with worldwide satellite coverage to offer low power ubiquitous connectivity. The initial set of Lacuna sensors are smaller than the palm of a hand, and can connect over satellite for several years from a single battery charge.
