Sateliot joins ESA IRIS² project to develop sovereign satellite connectivity

This selection validates the use of 3GPP standards for integrating satellite layers into the broader telecommunications stack, ensuring that governmental data remains within a sovereign European framework. By focusing on Direct-to-Device and IoT, the project addresses critical gaps in terrestrial coverage that currently limit emergency and remote operations. For the streaming and data ecosystem, this move signals a shift toward standardized non-terrestrial networks that could eventually support broader commercial mobile data offloading. The industry should monitor the 2027 launch of the Tritó satellites as the primary benchmark for the technical viability of this Low-LEO architecture.

Sateliot has been building its Low-LEO architecture around 5G NTN standards, positioning itself as a complement rather than a competitor to traditional GEO satellite operators. The company's Tritó satellite constellation, planned for initial deployment in 2027, targets IoT and Direct-to-Device connectivity using standard 3GPP Release 17 NTN protocols. Sateliot raised €25 million in a Series B funding round in early 2025 to accelerate its satellite manufacturing and constellation deployment, bringing total funding to approximately €50 million. The company has also secured spectrum rights across multiple frequency bands to support its planned commercial services, a critical prerequisite for any NTN operator seeking regulatory approval in European markets.

The IRIS² program itself represents a €10.6 billion EU investment in sovereign satellite infrastructure, approved by the European Parliament and Council in late 2023. ESA's IRIS² constellation is designed to provide secure governmental connectivity across Europe by 2030, with an initial service capability targeted for 2027, according to ESA's official program documentation. The constellation will integrate multiple orbital layers, including GEO, MEO, and LEO satellites, creating a multi-orbit architecture that mirrors the layered approach commercial operators like Eutelsat OneWeb and SES have adopted. The European Commission awarded the IRIS² concession contract to a consortium led by Eutelsat, SES, and Hispasat in late 2024, establishing the commercial framework within which Sateliot's RESCUE-NET project will operate. This multi-layer design means Sateliot's Low-LEO contribution must interoperate with higher-orbit assets from established operators.

In the broader NTN standards landscape, 3GPP Release 17 and Release 18 have defined the technical framework for integrating non-terrestrial networks into mobile infrastructure. Qualcomm demonstrated 5G NTN connectivity over LEO satellites in partnership with multiple operators during 2025, validating the chipset ecosystem that devices like those targeted by Sateliot's Direct-to-Device service will require. Meanwhile, AST SpaceMobile launched its first commercial BlueBird satellites in September 2024 and began offering direct-to-smartphone broadband service, representing a competing approach to Direct-to-Device that uses larger antenna arrays rather than Sateliot's smaller Low-LEO form factor. The competitive dynamic between these approaches will shape how European governmental buyers evaluate sovereign connectivity options once IRIS² reaches initial operational capability.