Just as with OQ , OneWeb ’ s strategy is to offer connectivity where existing service is poor or nonexistent in order to spur “ a wave of innovation and adoption in IoT .” Borgklint explains that some of the most promising industries and areas for IIoT applications “ also happen to occupy some of the least connected parts of the world ,” like the open ocean or the skies . “ Think of the potential unlocked once maritime , aviation , and other sectors have easy access to high-speed internet all over the world ,” he says .
Currently , IoT in isolated areas that are reliant on terrestrial networks continues to bump against one particularly thorny pain point : cost .
“ It ' s expensive to build out conventional broadband to remote areas . Even with heavy subsidies , the economics rarely work to extend sophisticated infrastructure — miles of fibre , countless wireless towers , and all the gear and monitoring required to light up those with connectivity — into thinly populated , very remote parts of the world ,” Borgklint explains .
While it might seem even less financially viable to strap your network hardware to a rocket and fire it into the outer atmosphere , the economics surrounding getting stuff ( particularly small stuff like a nanosatellite ) into space have changed pretty radically in the past few years . With companies like SpaceX essentially applying Uber ’ s ride-sharing model to rocket launches , the process of sending a few dozen satellites into space today is significantly less costly and faster than it was just a few years ago . A series of contracted launches by SpaceX for the US Space Force hints that future rides on reusable rockets could cost as little as $ 36mn for the whole payload . SpaceX ’ s website claims that if I set my launch date a year from now , I can put a 10 kg nanosatellite into LEO for a cool $ 1mn . Space has become remarkably accessible .
mobile-magazine . com 75