Vodafone IoT plans to launch satellite-based connectivity from Iridium and Skylo in 2026 to expand its global coverage. Vodafone IoT CEO Erik Brenneis told Light Reading the service should be commercially available this year and aimed at closing outdoor coverage gaps for device tracking.
The operator is testing technology from both satellite providers. It expects to start Iridium-based services after the summer of 2026 and a Skylo-based offering later in the year.
Standards-based satellite services
Vodafone IoT said the new partnerships use standards-based technology rather than legacy proprietary satellite systems. Brenneis said customers will be able to connect to the new satellite networks using the same hardware as its normal IoT business.
That sits alongside Vodafone IoT’s roaming relationship with Inmarsat, now part of Viasat, which dates back to 2016. The difference, as Vodafone IoT describes it, is that the new satellite links are designed to fit into the same commercial model as its existing IoT business.
Iridium and Skylo each bring a different footprint
Iridium has seven mobile operator partners for its NTN Direct narrowband IoT service, and Vodafone IoT will be among the first to offer it. The service complies with 3GPP Release 19 specifications and integrates Iridium’s 66 low-Earth-orbit satellites with mobile networks. Deutsche Telekom also plans to use the service in 2026.
Skylo says it has 16 million devices on its network, including IoT sensors and smartphones. Its US customers include Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile and Verizon for direct-to-device services, while its mobile operator partners outside the US include Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Orange, Tele2, Telefónica and Telus.
Satellite IoT for cattle, containers and more
Vodafone IoT CEO Erik Brenneis said cattle tracking in the US is the biggest use case for satellite connectivity by number of connections. He said the category fits remote areas where there is no mobile network.
Transforma Insight’s Matt Hatton said cattle tracking is likely to be one of the big growth applications for satellite connectivity in the coming few years as costs fall. He also pointed to container tracking as a mature use case, while Brenneis said Vodafone IoT also expects connected cars and shipping containers to be important areas for satellite IoT.
Read for satellite IoT buyers
For enterprise buyers and integrators, the key point is that Vodafone IoT is not treating satellite as a separate product stack. It says customers will use the same hardware as its normal IoT business, which should lower friction for existing deployments.
The commercial offer is also tied to named providers and a 2026 rollout window, so procurement teams can benchmark Iridium and Skylo against existing roaming and IoT coverage plans.