• Initial trial will see Skylo’s NTN network connected with Vodafone’s IoT service to expand connectivity
• Skylo works with several satellite providers including Viasat, Inmarsat and EchoStar

Vodafone’s IoT division has struck a partnership with Skylo Technologies to bring non-terrestrial network (NTN) narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) satellite connectivity to its enterprise customers.

The two companies will develop a trial that will connect Skylo’s NTN, spanning 36 countries and 70 million square kilometers of coverage, with Vodafone’s cellular IoT core and enable cellular and satellite connectivity from the same Vodafone SIM.

The satellite service will act as an overlay for Vodafone’s IoT connectivity platform, with seamless switching between it and the telco’s terrestrial services.

The aim of the partnership is to provide even greater coverage for customers across enterprise use cases, such as asset tracking, energy services, environmental monitoring and fleet management.

Erik Brenneis, CEO of Vodafone IoT, said: “As we continue our mission to provide our customers with truly global IoT connectivity, today marks another significant step forwards. Our new partnership with Skylo will help us deliver ubiquitous connectivity for our customers and make a step-change in network access, reliability and resilience which together will enable the next wave of innovative IoT solutions.”

Vodafone IoT already works with Iridium and other satellite providers for its NTN services. The Vodafone Group also launched a satellite joint venture with AST SpaceMobile in 2025.

The satellite IoT market has been growing in recent years. 

As reported by TelecomTV, Berg Insights, a reliable source of IoT data, found there were 5.8 million satellite IoT connections at the end of 2024. The market is expected to grow at a furious pace over the coming years – at a compound annual growth rate of 41.1%  – and by 2029 boast 32.5 million connections.

Skylo works with several GEO (geostationary) satellite operators, including Viasat/Inmarsat, Ligado, TerreStar and EchoStar.

At the end of last year, it announced a partnership with Orange to offer a satellite SMS service built on its NTN. Skylo also works with multiple other mobile network operators, including Verizon, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica.

Parthsarathi Trivedi, chief executive officer and co-founder of Skylo, said: “This trial is a critical step in bringing our 3GPP-compliant satellite connectivity to Vodafone’s IoT ecosystem. We are demonstrating how Skylo’s network can seamlessly extend Vodafone IoT’s reach into the most remote areas, adding millions of square kilometers of coverage. It’s about proving that ‘anywhere connectivity’ is no longer a future concept – it’s here, it’s standards based, and it’s ready for global scale.”

- James Pearce, Editor, TelecomTV