BSNL said it has partnered with Skylotech India for satellite-based NB-IoT (Narrow Band-Internet of Things) that will enable it to provide connectivity for millions of unconnected machines, sensors and industrial IoT devices across the country and covers India’s full geography to bring online new applications for the first time.

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The term Internet of Things(IOT) generally refers to scenarios where network connectivity and computing capability extends to objects, sensors and everyday items not normally considered computers, allowing these devices to generate, exchange and consume data with minimal human intervention.

Consumer products, durable goods, cars and trucks, industrial and utility components, sensors, and other everyday objects are being combined with Internet connectivity and powerful data analytic capabilities that promise to transform the way we work, live, and play.

APPLICATIONS OF SATELLITE BASED IOT SYSTEMS(SIOT)

It can provide different levels of coverage in different geographical locations and contexts; can reach to the territories where there is no Internet available. There are many scenarios where we need the information without the presence of the Internet. For instance, measurements of under surface soil humidity and fertilizer intensity can be brought in to the Internet through the IoT; can be done through some remote communication nodes. Satellites and high altitude based communication devices are instrumental in these applications.

Mission critical applications are the emergency and important services which need the availability of the networks all the time. Examples of mission critical applications are: disaster management during calamities, military data collection and transmission, real time control of important systems. These systems cannot afford the absence of the network for even a short time. During the natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, hurricanes and landslides, the wireless infrastructures are directly affected. Very often the networks go out of operation for days and in some cases even for months. However, the satellites are immune to these problems. That is why satellite based IoTs are preferred for the situation when the infrastructure is vulnerable to the natural disasters

Location based services need the exact locations to execute or deliver their services. IoT based networks along with the support of the satellites provide better location details than the cellular networks.

Navigation systems need the exact information of the surroundings both in the air and water. This information can be provided through SIoT

Agriculture is an important sector where the increase of yields is always a goal for the farmers. IoTs can be used for the precision farming.

Tracking has several applications in many different sectors. For instance, in logistics tracking is used to provide the progress in the transportation or delivery. Planes are tracked for their navigation and safety. Animal tracking is used to know the location of the cattle in the fields, their health monitoring and to avoid their theft.

There are several aspects of healthcare which needs the support of SIoT. For instance remote health monitoring and premedical treatment of the patients before they arrive in the hospital can be provided through SIoT networks. This is even more critical where there are no cellular networks.

Narrowband versions of IoTs(NBIOT) are available and their standards too have been ready. NBIoTs take a very small amount of power and bandwidth for their operations. NBIoT sensors can be powered through small batteries for years. Therefore very much suitable for the rural and energy limited applications . Combination of NBIoT with satellite networks can be very much attractive for several energy limited applications