California-based Totum says it has made the world’s first indoor direct to satellite IoT connection.

This indoor operation of its direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity is based on wireless technology that provides unprecedented reach from space. The demonstration showed bidirectional communications between a fully integrated system-on-a-chip (SoC) and Totum’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite.

The terrestrial endpoint was in a San Diego office building and, in contrast to high-gain directional antennas typically required by satellite modems, the demonstration made use of a miniature omnidirectional antenna.

“In a word, we’re thrilled,” said Ted Myers, founder and CEO at Totum. “In three years, we’ve gone from the back of a napkin to demonstrating the world’s first direct-to-satellite communication system that works outdoors and indoors with a modem the size of a postage stamp. This accomplishment sits entirely on the shoulders of the innovative and passionate efforts of Team Totum, our silicon partner Orca Systems and space partner Loft Orbital.”

The Totum offering provides connectivity and position fixes for low-powered IoT location tracking and monitoring systems which require battery life of up to ten years. This can unlock high-volume applications for supply chain, logistics, agriculture, transportation, energy and industrial markets that require global coverage and indoor reach, in total a more than $20bn connectivity opportunity.

“We’ve effectively created a whole new category for IoT connectivity,” said Dave Gell, chief commercial officer at Totum. “Combining the global coverage of satellite with an indoor reach comparable to cellular puts us in a unique position to solve some of the thorniest problems in IoT today. Critically, we’re able to do this with a total cost of ownership that beats cellular. Not surprisingly, the market is responding. We’ve built strong partnerships with OEMs, solution providers and value-added resellers who combined have placed advance orders for two million devices with service.”

Totum enables global asset tracking and monitoring using its constellation of LEO nanosatellites and device silicon. A wireless waveform provides worldwide coverage, indoor connectivity and an embedded footprint the size of a postage stamp. Combining connectivity and positioning capabilities, a compact Totum-powered tracker or monitoring system delivers battery life greater than ten years. Totum is based in San Diego, California.