IoT over land and sea
UAE-based telco e& (Etisalat) and green low earth orbit E-Space, have announced plans to develop global Internets of Things (IoT), Smart-IoT and digital transformation. They claim they can jointly create business models so powerful they will change the digital transformation agendas of governments and global enterprises. The low-cost base of E-Space could make the power of space more accessible to governments, business, communities and individuals, it’s claimed in a release. The relationship will also give e& better customer data to connect directly to private datacentres.
The partners will maximise the end-user value potential of borderless smart connectivity and digital solutions that can be provides by applications that are omniscient over land, sea and sky. They will focus on the creative development of cloud-native digital and IoT systems tempered by edge-based Artificial Intelligence (edge AI). With the combination of e&’s terrestrial infrastructure and E-Space’s space system, with its global LEO constellation and what it claims to be unique device capabilities, the partners claim they can create powerful new business models that raise the IoT and digital transformation agendas of governments and large-scale enterprises worldwide.
Joint development of global IoT use cases that could create new revenue streams, using an optimised satellite ecosystem in global tracking and agriculture, were mooted. The portfolio for IoT and digital products could expand to enable products across land, sea and air environments, anywhere and at any time, with speeds ranging from kilobits per second (Kbps) to megabits per second (Mbps).
E-Space expects to offer the most sustainable and affordable satellite-based system in the digital and IoT ecosystem with coverage available everywhere to support uninterrupted, global real-time data services. It claims that can deliver an estimated 90% reduction in overall system and terminal costs compared to second generation LEO networks, allowing more governments, business, communities and individuals to access the power of space.
Telcos and space technology have a natural synergy, offering enormous opportunities for telco companies to expand their reach and capabilities, argued Mikhail Gerchuk, Chief Executive Officer, e& international. They see the big picture, from space sensors to satellite broadband, so perhaps they have a unique overview on the potential to improve the way we connect, communicate and gather data from space.
“With our advanced infrastructure and E-Space’s next-generation space system, optimised with edge AI, we will offer a multi-technology platform enabling our customers to embrace a digital-first lifestyle more efficiently,” said Gerchuk. “We are confident that we can use our combined expertise to create seamless global digital IoT experiences to help our customers advance their digital transformation plans.”