Ligado Networks announced partnership with Sony Semiconductor Israel to develop chipsets for Ligado’s 5G mobile satellite network for the Internet of Things (IoT) business.
Ligado’s 5G satellite IoT network will support mobile devices powering machine-to-machine communications in the transportation, agriculture, utilities, and energy sectors.

Sachin Chhibber, Ligado Chief Technology Officer, said: “This satellite capability will also support our 5G mobile private network solution by enabling ubiquitous coverage and reliability, which are essential for critical infrastructure enterprises as they modernize operations.”

“The addition of satellite connectivity to our market-leading 5G IoT chipsets improves utility for critical communications customers and expands our market reach,” Dima Feldman, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel, said.

Sony Semiconductor will build on extensive design efforts and standards coordination to adapt 5G IoT technology and manufacture IoT chipsets that are compatible with Ligado’s L-band MSS spectrum.

Ligado plans to deploy a 5G satellite IoT network to support mainstream devices using low-cost chipsets for both satellite and terrestrial connectivity. The satellite offering adds extended coverage and network redundancy to the company’s 5G mobile private network solution.

With the 22-meter reflector-based antenna of Ligado’s SkyTerra 1 satellite, the network will support real-time communication to the small modules and devices used for innovative applications like wide-area vehicle diagnostics, environmental monitoring, smart metering, and critical messaging anywhere in North America.

Ligado and Sony indicated the work would be completed in several phases, with the goal of conducting initial technology trials by the end of the year.