Inmarsat announces FreeWave as partner for global IoT

The agreement will see enterprise customers gain operational advantages through proven, reliable satellite connectivity services.

Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has announced FreeWave Technologies – a leading Internet of Things (IoT) solutions provider – as a Distribution Partner for its L-band satellite IoT services.

The partnership, signed at this week’s IoT Tech Expo in Santa Clara, California, will focus on the integration of Inmarsat’s IsatData Pro (IDP) service in FreeWave’s end-to-end IoT solutions, initially with standalone hardware terminals, with a view to integrating IDP core modules into IoT hardware and assets in the future.

IDP is a two-way, real-time, non-IP messaging service that is used globally to connect mission-critical assets in remote locations where regular terrestrial connectivity is limited or non-existent. IDP is enabled by Inmarsat’s ELERA geostationary L-band satellite network, with ultra-reliable performance and robust network security.

The agreement will provide FreeWave’s customers with reliable, cost-effective, and scalable connectivity solutions to meet their mission-critical IoT demands across global industries, including agriculture, oil and gas, and utilities. The new relationship will also support the IoT uses of businesses operating in the environmental tracking space – including earthquake and flooding monitoring firms.

Jat Brainch, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer, Inmarsat, said: “We’re excited to be welcoming FreeWave as an Inmarsat Distribution Partner. FreeWave is an established name in the IoT market and we are looking forward to collaborating with them to build customer-centric solutions as we both look to grow our IoT footprint.

“We are particularly focused on the positive sustainable outcomes we believe this partnership can provide FreeWave’s customers. After all, you cannot manage what you cannot measure, and we believe solutions that enable better automation and digitalization of the data capture process to collect granular, real-time results are increasingly essential to achieving our collective Net Zero goals in the future.”

Jeff Horton, Chief Revenue Officer at FreeWave, said: “We are delighted to become an Inmarsat Distribution Partner. Inmarsat’s bi-directional IsatData Pro service is unique in the marketplace and perfectly suited to the needs of our customers. We look forward to working closely with the Inmarsat team over the coming months to grow our market share in the satellite IoT space.”

“Sustainability is on the minds of all our clients. Now, being able to offer satellite connectivity that is suited for a myriad of applications will keep their remote devices providing the critical data they need to make better-informed business decisions. We are now able to give them trusted connectivity from Inmarsat that complements our comprehensive offer from data collection to a data platform serving data-driven insights for enhanced decision-making. We are truly excited for what’s still to come from this partnership.”