What is satellite asset tracking?
Satellite asset tracking combines GNSS (GPS or Galileo) position determination with a satellite data link to transmit the asset's location and associated telemetry to a central monitoring platform. Unlike cellular-based tracking (which works only within terrestrial network coverage), satellite tracking provides global visibility — including at sea, across uninhabited continental interiors, and in polar regions.
Technology platforms
Several satellite networks serve the asset tracking market. Iridium SBD: The established standard for maritime and remote equipment tracking; an Iridium GPS tracker reports position every 15–60 minutes via 9.6 kbps SBD messages. Globalstar SPOT and SmartOne: Simple, low-cost trackers used for personal locator beacons, vehicle tracking, and agricultural equipment monitoring. Inmarsat IsatData Pro: Two-way messaging platform supporting rich telemetry for oil and gas equipment and refrigerated container monitoring. Skylo / NB-IoT via satellite: Emerging satellite-cellular hybrid trackers using 3GPP NTN standards that connect to standard NB-IoT networks when in cellular range and satellite when not. Swarm Technologies: Sub-$5/month ultra-low-cost tracking for agricultural and logistics applications.
Industry applications
Satellite tracking is standard in maritime (vessel monitoring under IMO AIS requirements), aviation (ADS-B supplemented by Iridium-based global tracking via Aireon on Iridium NEXT), logistics (reefer container temperature monitoring on ocean voyages), oil and gas (pipeline inspection tool tracking, remote pump monitoring), agriculture (livestock tracking in remote pastures, weather station networks), and humanitarian aid (aid vehicle tracking in conflict areas). The combination of falling satellite IoT device costs (below $100 for a basic tracker) and monthly subscription fees below $10 has opened mass-market tracking applications previously served only by terrestrial cellular.