Vodafone IoT Launches Satellite NB-IoT with Skylo, but Names Neither Prices nor Countries

Vodafone IoT now sells Skylo’s satellite service commercially: devices on the standard Vodafone Global SIM switch between cellular and satellite. The partners name neither prices nor countries. Deutsche Telekom and o2 Telefónica have offered Skylo since 2024 and 2025.

Vodafone IoT, the IoT arm of the Vodafone Group, and US company Skylo announced the commercial launch of their joint satellite service on 9 November. It targets new and existing enterprise customers of Vodafone IoT. In January, the partners had still described the collaboration as a trial phase.

What is Vodafone IoT offering now?

Skylo runs a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a mobile network that reaches devices via satellites instead of cell towers. Data travels over NB-IoT, a cellular standard for low-power devices that send small amounts of data. Skylo owns no satellites. It uses capacity on geostationary satellites from partners such as Viasat/Inmarsat, EchoStar and Space42. Geostationary satellites orbit at around 36,000 kilometres and appear fixed above the equator. Skylo says it serves devices in more than 41 countries. For this service, Vodafone IoT and Skylo connected their core networks, the central control layers of their networks.

Devices can therefore switch in both directions between cellular and satellite using the standard Vodafone Global SIM. According to Skylo, no separate satellite hardware is needed. Customers manage their connections through Vodafone IoT’s Managed Connectivity Platform. The company says more than 240 million devices are connected to that platform. The partners ran trials with customers in the UK, Spain, Italy and Canada, covering remote storage tank monitoring and micromobility such as e-bikes. Target sectors include asset tracking, logistics, maritime, agriculture, mining and remote energy infrastructure. Skylo CEO Parthsarathi Trivedi says the service makes satellite “a standard part of their connectivity, not a separate network to manage”.

What does the announcement leave out?

Neither Vodafone IoT nor Skylo names prices. It also remains unclear in which countries the service is commercially available. The announcement does not mention Germany, and WeSpeakIoT could not find a country list for the Vodafone service on further searching. Skylo itself notes on its coverage page that availability varies by country and mobile carrier. Also missing are a list of approved modules and the 3GPP release, the version of the mobile specification the service is built on. That matters for device planning.

NB-IoT over satellite has been standardised since Release 17 and requires a modem that supports this mode. Not every NB-IoT device in the field can do so. For its network, Skylo certifies individual modules, this year for example from Particle, Blues and LooUQ. Vodafone IoT CEO Erik Brenneis calls the launch a beginning: more customers, countries and networks are to follow. Anyone planning to use the service therefore has to ask Vodafone IoT directly about countries, module approval and terms.

How does Vodafone compare with Telekom and o2?

Vodafone IoT is late to Skylo. Deutsche Telekom has offered satellite NB-IoT with Skylo since February 2024: customers can add it to the IoT Business LPWA tariff. At launch, Telekom charged 90 euro cents per kilobyte of satellite data. o2 Telefónica launched its own tariff option with Skylo in March 2025, initially in 34 countries. Satellite data there cost 70 euro cents per kilobyte at launch, according to teltarif.de. In October 2025, Tele2 IoT in Sweden also announced a Skylo service.

Vodafone IoT only announced its Skylo partnership in January 2026. Telekom has expanded its offer since then. In February 2026, it launched multi-orbit IoT roaming, which combines Skylo in geostationary orbit (GEO) with Sateliot and OQ Technology in low Earth orbit (LEO), where satellites circle below 2,000 kilometres. In September, Iridium joined as another LEO partner. Telekom says this connection is commercially available, initially for Nordic Semiconductor modules. Telekom is rolling out the required firmware gradually to selected customers.

Vodafone IoT has also signed with Iridium. It announced the partnership for Iridium NTN Direct in November 2025, with a commercial launch planned for 2026 after integration and testing. WeSpeakIoT found no announcement of that launch by the time of publication. In satellite NB-IoT, Vodafone IoT is therefore a good two and a half years behind Telekom and so far works with one orbit instead of two.

What else is happening in satellite IoT?

Skylo keeps expanding its partner network. On 11 November, it signed a distribution agreement with KT SAT, the satellite subsidiary of South Korea’s KT. The service can only launch in South Korea once the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) approves it. The partners give no date. Brazilian tracker maker BWS IoT presented plans for a hybrid satellite module at the Movecomm 2026 conference. It is due in 2027 and will connect GEO and LEO satellites through an RS-232 expansion port on the trackers.

BWS names Skylo as one of its suppliers. On the infrastructure side, Gatehouse Satcom announced on 12 November that it will acquire radio maker Satlab. Satlab, based in Aalborg, builds radios for small satellites and says it has supplied more than 100 customers. The two Danish companies plan to develop a Satlab radio running Gatehouse’s 5G NTN software, starting with NB-IoT. The announcement does not say whether the radio will operate in the satellite or on the ground. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026. The companies have not disclosed a price.

What is NB-IoT over satellite?

NB-IoT over satellite, also called NB-NTN, carries the Narrowband IoT cellular standard over satellites instead of cell towers. 3GPP standardised it in Release 17. Devices need a modem that supports satellite mode, but no separate satellite terminal. The technology suits small amounts of data such as fill levels, positions or sensor readings.

Do I need a special SIM card for Vodafone IoT’s satellite service?

No. According to Skylo and Vodafone IoT, the service works with the standard Vodafone Global SIM, and devices switch in both directions between cellular and satellite. The device does need a module that supports NB-IoT over satellite. The partners did not publish a list of approved modules at launch.

Which mobile operators offer IoT over satellite?

Among others, Deutsche Telekom has offered NB-IoT over satellite with partner Skylo since February 2024, and o2 Telefónica since March 2025. Since 2026, Telekom has also offered low Earth orbit satellites from Sateliot, OQ Technology and Iridium. Vodafone IoT has sold Skylo since November 2026 and has announced a partnership with Iridium. Customers need to check with each provider whether an offer covers a specific location.

How much does satellite IoT cost at Vodafone?

Vodafone IoT and Skylo did not publish prices at the commercial launch in November 2026. They also did not say in which countries the service is commercially available. For comparison, Telekom charged 90 euro cents per kilobyte of satellite data when it launched its Skylo offer in February 2024, and o2 Business started at 70 euro cents per kilobyte in March 2025. Interested customers have to ask Vodafone IoT directly for terms.

What is the difference between GEO and LEO satellites for IoT?

Geostationary (GEO) satellites orbit at around 36,000 kilometres, appear fixed above the equator and cover large regions continuously. Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites circle below 2,000 kilometres, have shorter signal paths and reach high latitudes better. In return, many satellites are needed so that a device can always reach one. Telekom therefore combines both orbits in its multi-orbit roaming.