Iridium and SKYWAVE are embedding Iridium SBD directly into SKYWAVE satellite IoT terminals for heavy equipment OEMs. The integration is underway, and SKYWAVE customers will be able to access Iridium’s LEO satellite network through the combined solution.
The setup is aimed at giving those OEMs a single platform that can extend connected services across satellite, cellular, and Wi-Fi networks. That matters less as a product slogan than as an architecture choice: the companies are building for equipment that moves beyond terrestrial coverage and still needs monitoring, diagnostics, predictive maintenance, service support, and fleet modernization.
Heavy equipment is the first target
The partnership initially focuses on heavy equipment manufacturers. Iridium and SKYWAVE say the underlying architecture is also designed to support additional industrial verticals where assets operate globally, remotely, or beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, said Iridium has provided the only pole-to-pole mobile satellite network for more than two decades. He also said Iridium looks forward to partnering with SKYWAVE to bring its global LEO capabilities to industrial IoT customers operating in demanding environments.
What OEM buyers get
For heavy equipment OEMs, the immediate read is a connectivity stack that ties satellite into the same terminal rather than treating it as a separate add-on. That should simplify how manufacturers package remote connectivity for customers that need service continuity outside cellular coverage, while keeping the option to move across satellite, cellular, and Wi-Fi as conditions change.
Why the terminal-level integration matters
Embedding Iridium SBD into SKYWAVE terminals gives the partners a tighter control point at the device layer. Instead of selling a standalone satellite service, they are shaping how industrial IoT terminals route traffic and maintain service across environments that can shift from terrestrial coverage to satellite fallback.