Netmore is adding Kinéis satellite connectivity to its LoRaWAN offering, creating a hybrid terrestrial-satellite option intended to keep IoT devices connected when they move beyond terrestrial LPWAN coverage.
Terrestrial LPWAN networks work well when devices remain inside a predictable coverage footprint. The equation becomes more difficult for mobile assets, remote infrastructure or environmental monitoring systems that may operate far from gateways. In those cases, extending the terrestrial network is not always technically or economically practical.
Netmore Group is addressing that coverage boundary through a strategic partnership with European satellite IoT operator Kinéis. Under the agreement, Kinéis connectivity will be available through Netmore across the 18 countries where the LPWAN operator currently operates, with satellite and terrestrial connectivity delivered through Netmore’s ThingPark platform.
Satellite as an extension of LoRaWAN coverage
Kinéis operates a constellation of 25 satellites dedicated to IoT and AIS services. The partnership is designed to let a connected device communicate over terrestrial LoRaWAN where coverage is available and use satellite connectivity when it moves outside that footprint. According to the companies, switching between the two networks is automated rather than requiring manual intervention.
This is the aspect that differentiates the announcement from a conventional satellite IoT partnership. Netmore is not simply adding a separate satellite service alongside its terrestrial network. The companies are positioning satellite connectivity as an extension of the existing LPWAN environment, with both connectivity paths presented through the same platform.
That architecture is particularly relevant for applications where coverage conditions can change during the lifetime or movement of an asset. A logistics tracker, for example, may spend most of its time within terrestrial LoRaWAN coverage but still need to report once transported through remote areas. Similar requirements can arise with water infrastructure, tanks, industrial installations and environmental sensors.
Existing devices could shorten deployment cycles
Another notable element is that the partnership is not dependent entirely on future device development. Kinéis says hybrid LoRaWAN/satellite products are already available from several vendors, including Track Value and Beepings for asset tracking, Sentiv for water and infrastructure monitoring, and Dryad for environmental monitoring and wildfire detection.
For OEMs and system integrators, that could be more significant than the addition of satellite coverage alone. Multi-network IoT projects can require changes at the device, radio and backend levels. Having existing hardware designed for the two connectivity environments potentially removes part of that integration burden and makes hybrid connectivity applicable to projects that cannot justify a dedicated hardware development program.
A broader path toward terrestrial-satellite LPWAN
The partnership also sits within an emerging effort to make terrestrial and satellite LPWAN technologies work more coherently. Netmore and Kinéis are both members of the LoRa Alliance, and the companies point to planned Satellite Discovery Enhancements intended to standardize how commercial LoRaWAN devices discover and connect with satellite constellations.
The practical implication is that satellite IoT may increasingly become a coverage layer within LPWAN deployments rather than a completely separate connectivity architecture. For utilities, infrastructure operators and enterprises, that could make network design less dependent on achieving universal terrestrial coverage: terrestrial LoRaWAN can handle locations where infrastructure exists, while satellite provides a fallback for assets or sites beyond it.
The value of the Netmore-Kinéis agreement will therefore depend less on the theoretical availability of satellite coverage than on how transparently devices, network services and application platforms can operate across both environments. By bringing the two paths into ThingPark and supporting existing hybrid devices, the partnership targets that operational layer directly.
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