Fresh off yesterday’s Rocket Lab launch, Myriota today, March 23, 2021, announced the availability of its low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) in North America (i.e. the United States and Canada). The company put the first of three new satellites as a part of its second-generation network with the Rocket Lab “They Go Up So Fast” mission.
“The launch of our second-generation network ushers in a new era for the global IoT sector – one where data from devices is accessible anywhere on the planet in a secure and affordable manner,” said Dr. David Haley, Myriota CTO and co-founder. “Myriota Certified devices developed by our customers are already in the hands of end-users and are revolutionizing their industries. With our second-generation platform, they will now be able to send more messages and larger amounts of data each day.”
Myriota’s second-generation network will reduce latency and enable faster transfer of data between assets located anywhere on Earth and Myriota’s constellation; increase uplink capacity on the network, allowing customers to send larger amounts of data from devices each day; increase downlink capacity on the network, enhancing Myriota cloud-to-device communications capabilities including existing over-the-air updates; and support the activation of commercial network services in the United States and Canada.
As a part of the second-generation service launch, Myriota is rolling out a new Developer Toolkit at a price of $600 (USD), which provides developers with the tools needed to integrate the $50 Myriota low-power module into their devices. A Myriota Module can operate for over 10 years on standard AA batteries and send messages for a few cents per message.
The new toolkit includes a larger, user-friendly enclosure and essential hardware components that enable developers to prototype, test and deploy devices for in-field use across the most environmentally demanding and remote locations.
Myriota is targeting industries including utilities, transport and logistics, supply chain, agriculture, environmental, mining and defense. The company’s current network is already delivering “millions of messages” for Australian and New Zealand customers in the environmental monitoring, agriculture, and mining sectors.
The satellite IoT industry is now surging after a COVID-19 induced delay last year, with companies in the sector playing catch up on their 2020 launch plans in 2021 to fill out planned constellations and/or launching pathfinder satellites. Astrocast, Kepler Communications, Fleet Space, Hiber, Sateliot, and Swarm Technologies have all launched satellites since the beginning of the year with OQ Technology planning to launch its first satellite in the middle of the year.
