Sateliot, a Spanish company, announced on November 10th its intention to develop advanced satellites from its expanded facilities in Barcelona. The company's goal is to go beyond connecting sensors and machines, and provide wideband voice, video, and data links directly to smartphones.
The initial phase involves launching sixteen 150-kilogram satellites in 2027. A company spokesperson told SpaceNews that these initial satellites will demonstrate the capability in selected areas for short durations. The company anticipates scaling up to provide real-time coverage by 2030.
Before this, Sateliot aims to deploy five more 15-kilogram spacecraft in 2026 to enhance its connectivity service for Internet of Things (IoT) devices using global 5G standards known as 3GPP. Last month, the startup reported achieving a narrowband connection between one of its four operational low Earth orbit satellites, using buses supplied by Alen Space of Spain, and a commercial IoT device operating under Release 17 of this standard.
According to the spokesperson, "The ultimate goal is to build a global network of hundreds of satellites to deliver 5G IoT and New Radio (NR) connectivity for real time, low latency dual-use (civil and defense) applications." Sateliot has submitted plans to international regulators for deploying up to 500 satellites.
These upgraded satellites, named Tritó, will be constructed at the newly inaugurated European 5G Satellite Development Center at Sateliot's Barcelona headquarters. The center features a 100-square-meter clean room. The company stated that this industrial phase strengthens Europe’s leadership and technological sovereignty in 5G IoT connectivity from space. The Spanish government is among Sateliot's investors.
Sateliot also reaffirmed its objective of reaching one billion euros ($1.16 billion) in annual revenue by 2030, although commercial services are scheduled to commence next year and further expansion depends on additional fundraising. The company claims to have already secured recurring contracts worth 250 million euros with over 450 customers across 50 countries.
Last week, AST SpaceMobile, a U.S.-based company focused on direct-to-device connectivity, announced plans to register a European sovereign network in partnership with Vodafone, a U.K.-based telecoms company. Unlike Sateliot, AST SpaceMobile intends to deliver higher bandwidth 5G broadband connectivity to smartphones from space.