IoT Nano Terminals

Viasat IoT Nano is a message-based satellite IoT service.
It’s a highly cost-effective way of sending and receiving small amounts of IoT data; ideal for fixed
IoT applications such as Mining, Oil & Gas, Utilities, Renewables, Agriculture, and Environmental Monitoring.

It’s unaffected by weather conditions, and IoT Nano terminals draw very little power, running on
battery power for several years. IoT Nano is a low latency (15-60 seconds) service with almost global
coverage; only the polar regions are not served.

Recommended IoT Nano Terminals

Ground Control partners with trusted third parties on IoT Nano terminals, and we particularly like these Orbcomm options for their design, features and price point.

The simple and effective ST 2100 connects to your gateway or sensor via a serial port, and delivers plug-and-play connectivity with its simple AT command set.

The ST 6100 is fully programmable and comes with resources to support integration into diverse custom solutions. It also has super low power consumption, fully capable of operating on a battery / solar power.

Orbcomm ST 2100: Compact, Rugged and Flexible IoT Terminal

Orbcomm ST 6100: Programmable & Ultra Low-Power Consumption

6,400

Bytes Send

10,000

Bytes Receive

15-60

Seconds Latency*

*Depending on message size

IoT Nano Coverage

Viasat’s satellites are positioned in geostationary orbit. At 35,786 Km up, they move at the same speed as the Earth rotates, so appear stationary to us – hence the name! At this distance, they can ‘see’ a lot of the Earth’s surface, so a small number of satellites are needed to provide close to global coverage. IoT Nano currently operates on six L-band satellites, which deliver coverage everywhere with the exception of the polar regions.

There are several benefits of GEO satellites. Once you’re connected to the satellite, if your asset isn’t moving around, the connection will be extremely stable. If it *is* moving around, you will need an auto-pointing or omni-directional antenna that can adjust to your asset’s position relative to the satellite. The devices we’ve featured on this page have omni-directional antennae built in.

GEO services tend to be lower cost than comparative LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite airtime plans, so it’s often a very cost-effective option.

Viasat Coverage Map

Benefits of IoT Nano

IoT Nano is a message-based airtime service, which is a very cost-effective way of using the space segment. Utilizing the tried and trusted Viasat satellite network, it's secure, reliable, and scalable.

Talk to our team if you'd like some advice on whether IoT Nano is the best satellite airtime service for your requirements; we have 20 years' experience in satellite IoT, and we're here to help.

99.9% Service Availability

Viasat IoT Nano utilizes the L-band radio frequency, which is licensed (so you don't have to worry about congestion slowing down transmissions), & unaffected by weather conditions.

Low Operating Costs

IoT Nano ensures predictable data usage with minimal overhead, pooling data within each rate plan to avoid unexpected costs. There's great flexibility for IoT solutions, scaling from initial pilots to large deployments.

Energy Efficient Terminals

As a message-based service, IoT Nano is event-driven, which means it's not only low cost (sending only what you need, when you need it), it also draws much less power than 'always on' solutions.

15-60 Second Latency

Latency - the time it takes for the message to leave the terminal and travel via the satellite to your server - is just 15-60 seconds with IoT Nano - depending on the message size. This is very fast for a GEO satellite network!

Broad Coverage

Viasat's satellite network covers most of the planet, with only the polar regions excluded. This means you can access the service without roaming charges, as long as you have line of sight to a satellite.

Comparing Satellite IoT Connectivity

It’s tricky to compare airtime services because so much depends on how much data you need to send, but as a rough guide, we’ve put together the following comparison points. Get in touch if you’d like any help deciding what will work best for you.

Service:

Viasat IoT Nano

Iridium SBD

Iridium Certus 100

Viasat IoT Pro

Connection Type:

Message-Based

IP-Based

Typical Connection Speed:

6.4 / 10 kB per Message

270 / 320 B per Message

22 / 88 Kbps

448 / 464 Kbps

Satellite Orbit:

Geo-stationary (GEO)

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Geo-stationary (GEO)

Latency:

Low

Very Low

Low

Total Cost of Ownership:

Lowest

Very Low

Medium

Low

Power Usage:

Very Low

Low

Connection Frequency:

On Demand

Frequently Connected

Great For:

Small amounts of data from individual sensors

Very small amounts of data from individual sensors

Fixed or mobile IoT applications which require IP connection

Fixed IoT applications with larger amounts of data to transfer via an IP connection

How can we help?

If you’re developing a remote IoT application and need to explore your connectivity options, Ground Control can help. We design and build our own satellite IoT hardware and services platform, Cloudloop, and work with trusted third parties when they have a great product, like the Orbcomm devices we’ve featured on this page.

We can offer you expert, impartial advice on the best satellite network and device for your requirements. Just complete the form or email hello@groundcontrol.com, and we’ll come back to you within one working day.