OQ Know-how and KPN signed a roaming deal that provides OQ’s LEO satellites to KPN’s terrestrial and geostationary methods
In sum — what to know:
Strategic trade development – That is KPN’s second satellite-IoT partnership in 2025, reflecting a broader operator push to work with satellite tv for pc suppliers as IoT adoption scales.
IoT market progress – World mobile IoT subscribers grew 14% in 2024 to three.8 billion and are projected to succeed in 6.4 billion by 2029, although ARPU is predicted to say no barely.
OQ Know-how, a satellite tv for pc operator specializing in non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and Dutch telecommunications agency KPN have introduced a roaming settlement to offer international 5G IoT connectivity throughout terrestrial and satellite tv for pc networks.
Beneath the partnership, KPN clients will achieve entry to OQ’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite tv for pc community along with KPN’s present terrestrial and geostationary methods. The businesses say it will lengthen connectivity protection to distant areas together with polar areas, ocean routes, and areas obstructed from equatorial sky views.
KPN’s Business Roaming Supervisor, Jeffrey Rosink, described the association as addressing connectivity “past conventional boundaries,” citing potential purposes in maritime, logistics, power, and agriculture sectors. Omar Qaise, CEO of OQ Know-how, added that LEO satellites can ship protection in excessive latitudes, the place different methods reportedly battle.
The companies didn’t disclose specifics about deployment timelines, pricing, or the dimensions of preliminary rollout. The announcement frames this as a step towards enabling “really international” 5G IoT entry, particularly in areas the place terrestrial networks are unavailable or restricted.
That is KPN’s second satellite-IoT partnership this 12 months. In April, the operator teamed with Skylo Applied sciences to offer mission-critical connectivity, a deal billed as setting a benchmark for satellite-based IoT choices.
The partnerships mirror a broader development of cellular operators working with satellite tv for pc suppliers to increase protection. In accordance with the tenth version of The World M2M/IoT Communications Market, international mobile IoT subscribers rose 14% in 2024 to three.8 billion, representing about 30% of all cellular customers. Subscriber numbers are forecast to succeed in 6.4 billion by 2029, rising at a compound annual fee of 11%.
Over the identical interval, IoT connectivity revenues are projected to climb from €14.2 billion ($15.4 billion) in 2024 to €22.4 billion ($24.3 billion) in 2029, at the same time as common month-to-month income per person dips barely from €0.33 ($0.36) to €0.30 ($0.33). North America and Western Europe ranked because the second and third largest IoT markets on the finish of 2024, with 294 million and 279 million connections respectively, pushed largely by industrial adoption. Linked automobiles stay a dominant development, with greater than 90% of recent vehicles bought in these areas that includes embedded mobile connectivity.
You may take a look at extra of RCR Wi-fi Information’ protection of the fast growth of NTN providers right here.
