Hardware Podcasts

Low-Cost IoT Connectivity with Satellites | Wyld Networks’ Alastair Williamson

IoT For All Podcast · 16 Jun 2022 · 26m

What this episode covers

Alastair Williamson, CEO of Wyld Networks, explains how his company provides affordable, low-power satellite IoT connectivity by connecting LoRaWAN sensors to low Earth orbit satellites. He details the engineering challenges of mitigating interference in the unlicensed ISM band and highlights use cases in agriculture, supply chain, and energy where global coverage is critical. Williamson notes that Wyld Networks is preparing for a commercial launch in the second half of 2022, aiming to unlock a massive market for remote IoT devices.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Wyld Networks, SpaceX, Koopia, Sense, McKinsey
Also
LoRaWAN, LoRa Alliance

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Over the Air · 22m

    Building A Low-cost Satellite IoT Solution

    Alastair Williamson, CEO of Wyld Networks, explains how his company created an affordable satellite IoT solution by combining LoRaWAN technology with low-earth orbit satellites to enable global connectivity. He details the 'beaconing' mechanism that keeps sensors in sleep mode for 2-5 years on battery power, allowing data collection in areas without terrestrial coverage. Williamson highlights key use cases in precision agriculture, such as soil moisture monitoring to reduce water waste, and industrial applications like monitoring oil pipe corrosion for Chevron. He also discusses the company's roadmap to launch its commercial service in late 2022 and expand into carbon sequestration monitoring.

    Wireless & RFBatteries & low-power design
    7 chapters

  • Over the Air · 27m

    Satellite Iot: Space-Based Connectivity Solutions With Oli Potter

    Oliver Potter, COO of Ground Control, explains how satellite IoT bridges the connectivity gap for assets in remote maritime, renewable energy, and climate monitoring applications where cellular coverage is absent. He details the evolution from expensive geostationary satellites to cost-effective Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, highlighting the industry's shift toward standardized protocols like 3GPP Narrowband IoT to enable cheaper, interoperable hardware. Potter emphasizes that successful deployment requires rigorous data compression and edge AI to manage the high cost and power constraints of space-based transmission, ensuring long-term reliability for critical infrastructure like wildfire detection and tsunami warning systems.

    Wireless & RFConnected products & IoT
    7 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 07m

    An Interview with Maarten Engelen

    Maarten Engelen, CTO of Hiber, explains how his company leverages low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global IoT connectivity for remote applications. He details the technical trade-offs in satellite design, including orbital decay, thermal cycling, and the use of star trackers for attitude determination, as well as the regulatory complexities of securing frequency licenses. Engelen also describes the Hiber modem module, highlighting its ultra-low power consumption, small form factor, and the strategy of handling all international certifications to simplify deployment for customers in industries like agriculture and logistics.

    Wireless & RFBatteries & low-power design
    5 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 06m

    Space Age Bluetooth with Alex Haro

    Alex Haro, co-founder and CEO of Hubble, explains how his company has built a global tracking network using standard Bluetooth chips communicating directly with low-Earth orbit satellites. Haro details the technical innovation of using digital beamforming and custom waveforms to receive weak 2.4 GHz signals from space, allowing devices to function without GPS or cellular modems. The episode covers Hubble's hybrid terrestrial-satellite architecture, which leverages existing gateways and smartphone apps to provide enterprise-grade, real-time asset tracking and sensor data globally.

    Wireless & RFConnected products & IoT
    10 chapters

  • Over the Air · 17m

    Off-Grid Communication: Innovating Satellite Tech with Diego Lozano from Somewear Labs

    Diego Lozano, Head of Hardware Engineering at Somewear Labs, explains how the company pivoted from consumer satellite communicators to operational mesh networks with their new product, No. He details the technical challenges of integrating LoRa mesh with Iridium satellite backhaul, specifically focusing on RF interference from power supplies and the difficulties of achieving IP68 waterproofing in compact enclosures. Lozano also discusses the strategic shift toward edge AI for low-bandwidth telemetry and highlights their integration with Whoop for biometric monitoring.

    Wireless & RFMaterials & manufacturing processes
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by IoT For All Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.