The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Luxembourg-based OQ Technology a Special Temporary Authority (STA) to demonstrate 5G Non-Terrestrial-Network IoT (NB-IoT NTN) coverage via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for experimental purposes.
This STA, reportedly valid until October 2024, will allow OQ Technology to conduct proof-of-concept trials and live demonstrations for potential clients in the USA, utilizing one of its LEO satellites.
The testing will occur in remote areas of California and Florida, with a strong pipeline of interested clients participating. These tests will involve using OQ Technology's NB-IoT NTN user terminals for enterprise end-to-end solutions.
OQ Technology, the first company to provide standard 3GPP NB-IoT connectivity via LEO satellites, holds licenses in various countries and already offers commercial services globally.
Regarding the FCC authorization, the company stated, "The US is a significant market for us and is on our commercial roadmap. Although we are currently deploying services in other parts of the world, we have received numerous requests from US companies and clients to test our service."
What Is NB-IoT NTN?
To define, NB-IoT NTN refers to the deployment of NB-IoT technology using satellites or other non-terrestrial assets. This allows IoT devices to connect to the network even in remote or rural areas where traditional terrestrial network infrastructure is sparse or unavailable. This technology is particularly useful for applications like remote monitoring, environmental sensing, and other IoT applications that require wide coverage and reliable connectivity.
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