Satellite and Cellular Connectivity Certification for Digital Infrastructure

LooUQ has obtained Non-Terrestrial Network certification from Skylo for its embedded modem, leveraging a pre-certified wireless communications module from Nordic Semiconductor. This cooperative certification framework provides continuous cellular and satellite connectivity for industrial monitoring systems deployed in off-grid environments.

Applications in Remote Infrastructure Monitoring
Target industries include water management, agriculture, energy utilities, and logistics. A primary operational use case involves Remsight utilizing the embedded modem within its HydroProxy platform to monitor remote irrigation networks in the western United States. Automatic switching between terrestrial LTE networks and satellite connectivity prevents data loss, ensuring operational stability and preventing water distribution failures.

Partnership Roles and Industry Challenge
The collaboration between Nordic Semiconductor, LooUQ, and Skylo addresses the challenge of maintaining real-time telemetry from remote assets located outside cellular tower range. Obtaining individual satellite compliance for connected hardware typically requires extensive radio frequency engineering and independent testing. Cooperation was required to bundle component-level non-terrestrial network certification into an off-the-shelf embedded modem, simplifying integration and reducing regulatory testing requirements for end-device manufacturers.

Technical Architecture and System Standards
The system architecture centers on a low-power wireless module that supports LTE-M, NB-IoT, DECT NR+, and 3GPP NB-NTN standards. Nordic Semiconductor supplies the core module featuring an integrated application microcontroller and security hardware. LooUQ integrates this core into an embedded modem with a multi-band antenna supporting both terrestrial LTE and satellite frequency bands, requiring only two external components for board-level integration. Skylo provides the 3GPP-compliant satellite network, enabling the modem to automatically shift between terrestrial cells and satellite coverage based on signal metrics without requiring software changes.

Deployment and Integration Framework
The certified modem platform is deployed in field monitoring applications and supported by breakout development kits for prototyping. Through Nordic Semiconductor's partner network, the pre-certified module architecture integrates directly into existing industrial infrastructure. Engineering support from the partners allows device integrators like Remsight to pass inherited compliance downstream, significantly shortening qualification phases and lowering certification costs.

Quantifiable Operational Impact
The primary operational result is inherited compliance, which minimizes testing cycles for original equipment manufacturers. By automating dual-mode failover between terrestrial cellular and satellite networks, the solution eliminates communication downtime, stabilizing remote process monitoring and reducing the manual inspection overhead for utility and agricultural operations.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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