At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, Germany-based security technology firm Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) revealed its latest venture into satellite IoT. Partnering with US satellite connectivity startup Skylo, G+D is now offering 5G-compatible NB-IoT services on geostationary satellites. This move aligns with its simultaneous partnership with Spanish company Sateliot, which is involved in deploying a low-Earth orbit (LEO) NB-IoT satellite network.
The focus on integrating satellite and terrestrial connectivity has been reignited at MWC 2025, largely due to advancements in non-terrestrial network (NTN) features within the 5G standard. These enhancements are pivotal for extending IoT services. By incorporating both satellite and terrestrial IoT connectivity, G+D aims to enhance its global IoT SIM offerings, which include options like eSIM, iSIM, and traditional physical SIM. This development enables seamless technical operations, as highlighted by G+D in their announcement.
The partnerships with both Sateliot and Skylo ensure comprehensive coverage by utilizing LEO and GEO satellites. The IoT solutions now cover previously unreachable remote and maritime locations. The company highlighted the significant challenge posed by connectivity gaps in these regions, which limits the potential of IoT solutions. Applications such as asset tracking and monitoring for sectors like agriculture and logistics stand to gain considerably from this development.
Dr. Philipp Schulte, Chief Executive for Mobile Security at G+D, emphasized that the growing demand for IoT necessitates a global and seamless coverage. He stated, “As demand for IoT connectivity continues to rise, the need for seamless global coverage becomes essential. Only [with this] can the full potential of IoT… be realised and leveraged to its maximum impact… We can now further close this coverage gap by offering IoT services that utilize both mobile networks and GEO and LEO satellite networks.”