Satellite IoT and Non-Terrestrial Networks: Reshaping Connectivity for Remote Industries in 2025

Satellite IoT and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are transforming how Australia’s remote industries operate in 2025. These groundbreaking technologies are bridging the vast connectivity gaps across our continent, where traditional cellular networks have historically failed to reach.

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Understanding how Satellite IoT and NTNs are reshaping Australia’s remote industries.
• Insights into the regulatory landscape enabling these technologies.
• Exploring the applications in mining, agriculture, and transport.
• Recognizing the challenges and future potential of NTN technologies in Australia.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A New Era of Remote Connectivity

Satellite IoT and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are transforming how Australia’s remote industries operate in 2025. These groundbreaking technologies are bridging the vast connectivity gaps across our continent, where traditional cellular networks have historically failed to reach. For mining operations in the Pilbara, cattle stations in the Northern Territory, and transport routes cutting through the heart of the outback, satellite IoT solutions are no longer futuristic concepts but essential operational tools.

Australia’s unique geography – spanning 7.7 million square kilometers with population centers clustered along coastal regions – creates immense challenges for conventional connectivity. With 60% of our landmass lacking mobile coverage, satellite IoT and NTN technology have emerged as game-changing solutions for industries operating in these remote areas.

This comprehensive guide explores how these technologies are reshaping Australian industries in 2025, the regulatory landscape enabling their adoption, and the strategic partnerships driving innovation across our vast continent.

Learn more at TeckNexus.

Understanding Satellite IoT: The Technological Foundations

How Non-Terrestrial Networks Are Revolutionizing Remote Connectivity

Non-terrestrial networks represent a fundamental shift in how we think about connectivity. Unlike traditional ground-based infrastructure, NTN technology leverages satellites, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial systems to create communication networks that blanket entire regions regardless of terrain or distance from population centers.

The 3GPP Release 17 framework has been pivotal in standardizing NTN operations, enabling seamless integration between satellite and terrestrial networks. This interoperability means IoT devices can automatically switch between cellular and satellite connectivity based on availability, ensuring continuous operation even in the most remote corners of Australia.

For the 60% of Australian territory without terrestrial mobile coverage, these advances are transformative. NTN NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) supports low-data applications crucial for agriculture, such as soil moisture monitoring across vast properties. Meanwhile, NTN NR (New Radio) facilitates high-throughput applications essential for modern mining operations, including real-time control of autonomous equipment.

Read more about NTN technology at Anritsu.

Power Efficiency and Network Resilience in Harsh Australian Conditions

Satellite IoT devices are designed with Australia’s challenging environment in mind. Power efficiency stands as a cornerstone design principle, with innovations like Myriota’s modules operating on standard AA batteries for over five years without replacement – crucial for deployments in locations where maintenance visits are costly and complex.

This energy autonomy is vital for Australia’s mining industry, where infrastructure-free deployments in remote sites reduce reliance on diesel generators and align with increasingly stringent sustainability targets. The resilience of these systems was demonstrated during the 2024 floods in Queensland, where satellite-connected sensors continued providing uninterrupted water-level data to emergency services even as ground-based infrastructure failed.

Explore these innovations at Myriota.

Regulatory Landscape Enabling Satellite IoT Adoption

Australian Licensing and Spectrum Management for NTN Technology

Australia’s regulatory framework, jointly overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Australian Space Agency, continues to evolve to accommodate the rapid growth of satellite IoT solutions. Operators must navigate a complex landscape of carrier licenses and spectrum rights to deploy their services across the continent.

Recent policy reforms outlined in the LEOSat Working Group Chair’s Report of 2024 have recommended significant modernization of the Universal Service Obligation to include satellite voice and data services. This change aims to ensure equitable access for all Australians, with particular focus on First Nations communities in remote regions who have historically been underserved by telecommunications infrastructure.

Learn more at Minister’s Media Release.

Collaboration with First Nations Communities on Remote Connectivity

The Albanese Government has prioritized NTN deployment as a cornerstone of closing the digital divide affecting First Nations communities. Practical implementations include ongoing trials in the APY Lands, where Myriota sensors monitor water tank levels and quality, ensuring sustainable water management in communities where resources are scarce and infrastructure maintenance is challenging.

Explore these initiatives at AICTO.

Industry Applications: Transforming Remote Operations

Mining: Industrial Automation Through Satellite IoT

Australia’s mining sector, valued at AUD$480 billion, has emerged as one of the most enthusiastic adopters of satellite IoT solutions. The integration of these technologies is transforming operations across the value chain:

• Predictive Maintenance: Vibration sensors attached to haul trucks and processing equipment transmit health data via satellite to cloud platforms, enabling predictive maintenance that has reduced unplanned downtime by up to 30% in some operations.
• Tailings Management: Pressure and movement sensors embedded in dam walls detect structural anomalies and potential failures before they occur, helping mining companies comply with increasingly stringent ESG reporting requirements.
• Water Stewardship: At operations like BHP’s Olympic Dam, Myriota-enabled sensors track groundwater extraction rates in real-time, preventing overuse in arid regions and supporting sustainable resource management.
• Autonomous Fleet Management: Satellite connectivity enables remote control and monitoring of autonomous mining equipment even in areas without cellular coverage, increasing operational hours and reducing personnel exposure to hazardous environments.

Explore how satellite solutions transform mining at Kratos Defense.

Agriculture: Precision Farming Across Vast Australian Properties

The agricultural sector has found unique value in satellite IoT deployments across Australia’s expansive farming operations:

• Irrigation Optimization: In the Murray-Darling Basin, NTN NB-IoT devices sync soil moisture data with weather forecasts, enabling precision irrigation that conserves water while maximizing crop yields.
• Water Conservation: Cotton growers in Moree have reported 20% water savings using satellite-connected soil probes that provide real-time data on soil conditions across thousands of hectares.
• Livestock Monitoring: Myriota’s partnership with Inovor Technologies enables cattle stations to monitor water troughs across properties spanning 10,000 square kilometers, ensuring animal welfare while reducing the need for physical inspections.
• Supply Chain Traceability: From paddock to plate, satellite-connected tracking enables continuous monitoring of agricultural products, supporting Australia’s premium positioning in export markets where provenance is increasingly valued.

Learn more about agricultural advancements at IT Brief.

Transport and Logistics: Conquering the Tyranny of Distance with 5G IoT

Australia’s transport sector faces unique challenges due to the vast distances between population centers and the remote routes that connect mining and agricultural operations to ports and processing facilities:

• Continuous Connectivity: The upcoming Optus and SpaceX Direct-to-Cell initiative, scheduled to launch in late 2025, will provide SMS and voice coverage to Australia’s remotest highways, enhancing safety for truck drivers traversing isolated routes.
• Cold Chain Integrity: Companies like Toll Group now use Myriota trackers to monitor refrigerated containers on routes such as Darwin-Singapore, reducing spoilage losses by approximately 15% through constant temperature monitoring.
• Asset Tracking: The integration of eSIM standards in transport applications has simplified the deployment of tracking solutions that work seamlessly across borders, essential for Australia’s export-oriented economy.
• Remote Driver Assistance: Satellite-connected cameras and sensors enable remote monitoring of road conditions and vehicle status, providing crucial support to drivers operating thousands of kilometers from maintenance facilities.

Explore advanced fleet management solutions at Impulse Wireless.

Strategic Collaborations Driving Innovation

Myriota: Building Australian Sovereign Capabilities in Satellite IoT

Adelaide-based Myriota has emerged as a national champion in the satellite IoT sector, backed by the National Reconstruction Fund to manufacture satellite modules domestically. This investment has created approximately 100 high-skilled jobs while ensuring Australia maintains sovereign capability in critical communication technology.

Discover more about Myriota’s initiatives at Australian Space.

The Optus-SpaceX Partnership: Redefining Mobile Coverage

The collaboration between Optus and SpaceX represents one of the most ambitious telecommunications projects in Australia’s history. The phased rollout of Starlink-powered services will progressively eliminate mobile blackspots along key routes like the Outback Way by 2026, fundamentally changing connectivity expectations across the continent.

Learn more about the Optus-SpaceX partnership at TeckNexus.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Addressing Cost and Latency Constraints

Despite significant progress, satellite IoT solutions still face practical limitations. While module costs have decreased substantially to around AUD$756, data plans remain 3-5 times more expensive than cellular alternatives, creating adoption barriers for some potential users.

Explore the economic dynamics at ACCC Report.

The Next Generation of NTN Integration

Looking toward the 2025-2030 period, several technological advances promise to further enhance satellite IoT capabilities across Australia:

• AI-Driven Spectrum Allocation: Research into dynamic frequency sharing between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and IoT devices in mining zones will optimize bandwidth usage in areas with concentrated device deployments.
• High-Altitude Platform Stations: Airbus’s Zephyr solar-powered drones are scheduled to begin relaying 4K video from offshore oil and gas platforms by 2026, complementing satellite connectivity with lower-latency options for data-intensive applications.
• Advanced eSIM Implementation: Further refinements to the eSIM standard will enable truly seamless transitions between terrestrial and satellite networks, simplifying user experience and expanding device compatibility.
• Edge Computing Integration: Processing data at the network edge will reduce bandwidth requirements and enable more sophisticated analytics even in bandwidth-constrained environments.

Learn about future advancements at Anritsu.

Conclusion: Australia’s Satellite-Enabled Future

Satellite IoT and non-terrestrial networks are dismantling Australia’s longstanding connectivity barriers, empowering industries to harness real-time data for sustainable growth across our vast continent. The integration of these technologies is not merely a technical achievement but a transformative force reshaping how industries operate in remote regions.

Policy reforms, homegrown innovation from companies like Myriota, and global partnerships such as the Optus-SpaceX collaboration position Australia as a leader in NTN deployment. This leadership is particularly significant given our unique geographical challenges and the economic importance of industries operating far from population centers.

Explore strategies for enhanced connectivity at Fortune Business Insights.