# From Closed to Open Source: Revolutionizing the Satellite Industry with Ian Itz, Director of IoT at Iridium

- Show: [Over the Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air)
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Length: 22m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/over-the-air/episodes/From-Closed-to-Open-Source-Revolutionizing-the-Satellite-Industry-with-Ian-Itz--Director-of-IoT-at-Iridium-e2l43s3

## Summary

Ian Itz, Director of IoT at Iridium, explains the company's strategic pivot from a proprietary, closed-ecosystem satellite model to an open-source, standards-based approach leveraging Arduino and NB-IoT. He details how Iridium's legacy 66-satellite constellation supports global IoT data, noting that their previous 'Swiss army knife' modules were over-engineered for developers, prompting a shift to simpler, open-standard hardware. Itz also discusses the high capital barriers of satellite infrastructure, contrasting Iridium's narrowband focus with Starlink's broadband model, and highlights partners like Geoforce who build robust, long-life asset tracking devices for the oil and gas industry.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=0) Introduction: Ian Itz and Iridium's Global IoT Mission
- [1:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=74) Iridium's Hardware Strategy: Modules and Partnerships
- [3:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=233) Pivoting from Proprietary to Open Source and NB-IoT
- [5:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=353) Feedback from Developers and Simplifying Hardware
- [8:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=523) Balancing Open Source Standards with Proprietary Needs
- [10:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=623) Future Roadmap: NB-IoT and Mass Market Adoption
- [12:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=776) Satellite Economics: High Entry Costs vs. Starlink
- [15:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=959) Pricing Models for Satellite-Connected Consumer Devices
- [20:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-02-29-from-closed-to-open-source-revolutionizing-the-satellite-industry-with-ian-itz-d#t=1233) Partner Spotlight: Geoforce and Robust Asset Tracking

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Iridium (company)
- Motorola (company)
- Starlink (company)
- Elon Musk (other)
- Arduino (other)
- Geoforce (company)
- NB-IoT (other)
- 3GPP (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Satellite Connectivity in IoT Solutions | Iridium's Ian Itz | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2024-02-13-satellite-connectivity-in-iot-solutions-iridiums-ian-itz-internet-of-things-podc) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [The Current Landscape of Satellite IoT | HEAD Aerospace's Oscar Delgad0 & Raghu Das | Internet of Things](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2023-01-05-the-current-landscape-of-satellite-iot-head-aerospaces-oscar-delgad0-raghu-das-i) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Boat Anchors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-10-13-boat-anchors) (The Amp Hour)
- [Are Satellite's the Future of IoT Connectivity? | Swarm a subsidiary of SpaceX's Sara Spangelo | Internet of Things](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-12-15-are-satellites-the-future-of-iot-connectivity-swarm-a-subsidiary-of-spacexs-sara) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Satellites and EVs with Joris Aerts](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-11-23-satellites-and-evs-with-joris-aerts) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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