The test was via its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. And it represents Europe’s first direct-to-mobile emergency broadcast message without any hardware or software modifications, said the company.
“This achievement marks a turning point for Europe’s sovereign space capabilities,” said Omar Qaise, Founder and CEO of OQ Technology.
“With our 60 MHz of high-priority MSS S-band spectrum and in-orbit infrastructure, OQ is building the foundation for a resilient and secure European direct-to-device service that connects people everywhere. With this milestone, we’ve proven that emergency broadcast messages can reach ordinary smartphones from space – anytime and anywhere.”
Such space-based communications may serve public safety and disaster responses, suggested the company. It could ensure citizens remain connected even when terrestrial networks are down, congested, or disrupted by cyberattacks, for example.
IoT and M2M
The startup’s constellation supports real-time data processing for IoT and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications in remote and rural areas. This is via 3GPP-compliant D2D connectivity.
Cited applications include SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, asset tracking, drone control, and wellhead monitoring.
OQ Technology headquarters are in Luxembourg, where the demonstration took place.
Concession
Last month, the company was granted the official Luxembourg Government concession for satellite-based 5G IoT and direct-to-device services globally.
“Receiving this concession is a major milestone for OQ Technology and for Luxembourg’s space-tech ecosystem,” said Qaise.
“It empowers us to deliver reliable, secure, and ubiquitous connectivity directly to devices, helping industries and communities benefit from next-generation 5G IoT services.”
Aramco
Also, back in September 2022, OQ Technology was closing a €13m Series A funding round. This was led by Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Saudi oil and gas company Aramco.
It currently has 10 satellites in orbit, in its constellation for 5G IoT. And OQ Tech plans to expand this to more than 8o satellites to provide wider, global services. The company calls its satellites in orbit “cell-towers in space”.
Image: OQ Technology
