TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 OQ Technology has expanded its satellite connectivity services for remote Internet of Things (IoT) devices to Australia, the Luxembourg-based low Earth orbit (LEO) operator announced Sept. 30.<\/p>\n
The company has also opened an office in the country after securing a license to use S-band spectrum for non-terrestrial 5G IoT services from its constellation of 10 small satellites, founder and CEO Omar Qaise told SpaceNews.<\/p>\n
The Australian approval follows the launch of OQ Technology\u2019s LEO services in \u201ccountries such as Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Nigeria and many more,\u201d Qaise said via email.<\/p>\n
Qaise pointed to soaring demand for space-based connectivity in the oil and gas, agriculture and mining sectors in particular, where terrestrial coverage is often limited, alongside rising needs from government and logistics customers.<\/p>\n
He said OQ Technology delivers services through a mix of its own licensed spectrum and more than 20 roaming agreements with terrestrial telcos worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dutch telco KPN is the latest telco to announce an agreement with OQ Technology, adding the venture to its roster of space-based partners to enable IoT coverage across land and sea.<\/p>\n
Enterprise customers include Aramco, Saudi Arabia\u2019s state-owned oil and gas giant.<\/p>\n
March toward direct-to-device services<\/p>\n