Following the launch of the Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT) satellite service, the latest Iridium network service evolution, Ground Control, a satellite focused, IoT and M2M critical communications connectivity provider, has developed a new satellite IoT gateway to enable more efficient transmission of even larger data payloads from very remote locations.
Ensuring failsafe connectivity in mission-critical applications, where data is paramount, the new IoT gateway delivers a lower-cost message-based transfer. The IoT gateway has already been trialled in Gabon in Central Africa with Digital Forest UK to reduce poaching of endangered and monitored wildlife.
Ground Control’s new IoT gateway leverages the full potential of IMT, and the industry standard MQTT messaging transport, a messaging protocol designed for IoT by which applications can exchange payloads of data between applications.
A research paper1 published by Computer Weekly last year found that 75% of businesses experienced connectivity challenges when trialling IoT projects – citing issues from coverage to interoperability and cost. Ground Control’s IoT Gateway is designed to address each of these challenges, providing global coverage, industry-standard interfaces, and cost efficiency.
From remote monitoring to predictive maintenance, and improved processes to sustainability, the value of IoT data collection is universally acknowledged today. Ground Control’s new satellite IoT Gateway allows customers to grow beyond the restrictions and challenges facing IoT projects, delivering greater depth and breadth of data insight.
For Digital Forest UK, the trialled solution enables rangers to see where threats ‘are’, where traditional image capture methods had only allowed them to analyse data retrospectively, in other words to see where threats ‘were’. Digital Forest UK needed to transmit images to reliably and most critically, in real-time. Detecting and alerting rangers to the presence of illegal poachers – with images available immediately, 24/7.
The satellite IoT gateway has enabled Digital Forest to quickly and easily integrate two-way messaging into their application via the RockREMOTE, transferring 100kb of data per message (large enough for compressed images) on demand.
Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control, said: “The new satellite IoT gateway answers many of the questions that have been posed for a number of years now, namely, to capture and transmit larger payloads of data without the traditionally associated cost burdens.
“This is primarily because RockREMOTE works to package and compress messages prior to transmission, to minimize the amount of data sent. Additionally, as the data is transmitted on demand, it uses less power and is ideal for mission-critical data analysis from extreme and remote locations.”
Robin Whytock, for Digital Forest UK, said: “We’ve worked with Ground Control for many years and their products and supporting services have never failed to deliver. It’s very reassuring working with a company that designs, builds and supports every aspect of their products.”