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Sateliot, a leading satellite telecommunications operator in 5G IoT connectivity, will test a pioneering system that allows its satellites to connect with IoT devices without relying on GNSS. The breakthrough opens new opportunities in sectors such as defense and security, where Europe’s technological autonomy and operation in GNSS-denied environments are strategic priorities.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, such as the one developed by Sateliot, provide coverage in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks — over half of the planet’s surface. However, until now, they depended on GNSS, increasing both the energy consumption of devices and terminal costs.
The FreeGNSSNetwork project, signed with the European Space Agency (ESA) and led jointly with GMV, eliminates this dependency using advanced algorithms that enable devices to calculate their position directly from the satellites’ signals. This maintains a stable and accurate connection even under complex conditions such as wartime scenarios.
According to the company, this project represents a paradigm shift and lays the groundwork for developing 6G technology, in which Sateliot actively contributes within the 3GPP framework.
The FreeGNSSNetwork enables device positioning with an accuracy of approximately 10 meters and provides extremely precise time synchronization services of 50 nanoseconds, the equivalent of 0.00000005 seconds.
The system is being tested in laboratories that replicate real satellite communication conditions and will be demonstrated in orbit with prototype satellites and terminals, sending positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data directly to IoT devices.
