FAQs

Kinéis is a global, satellite-based location and data collection system designed for IoT applications. It allows any object equipped with a compatible transceiver, referred to as a connected device, to be located across the world and to transmit meaningful data collected from its measurement sensors. Kinéis provides IoT connectivity which is available everywhere, especially in remote areas where no other network is available.

Our system is composed of 4 essential components:

• IoT devices certified for Kinéis communication, located anywhere around the world
• a constellation of satellites in Low-Earth Orbit distributed around the planet
• a network of 20 ground stations located around the world
• a Mission control and processing center located in Toulouse, France

Each Kinéis connected device transmits messages to instruments on-board the satellites that pass overhead, through a proprietary communication protocol. A network of ground stations is then used to retrieve the data from all satellites and forward it to the Kinéis Mission center, where it is processed, stored and automatically delivered to final users through a standard web interface.

From their polar low-Earth orbits, the Kinéis satellites allow a full global coverage and ensure the collection of messages transmitted by devices deployed all over the world. Each satellite offers at least 3-4 windows of visibility per day for any device, depending on the latitude. The current constellation of satellites gives near-real-time connectivity, with an average revisit time between the satellite passes over the Equator of about 1 hour (i.e. the worst case for polar orbits). This revisit time will be reduced to 15 minutes with the launch of the new constellation of 25 nanosatellites in 2023.

Yes. Kinéis IoT connectivity is already available thanks to 9 operational satellites in orbit. Kinéis provides a reliable commercial service and today, almost 20,000 devices are connected, including animal tags, drifting buoys and fishing vessels. With the new constellation, the service will be significantly improved with more capacity, a shorter time between satellite passes and new optimized modulations.

To start using Kinéis connectivity in your IoT solution, you may contact Kinéis to be registered as a service provider. If you are looking for a complete IoT solution, you may contact one of our existing service provider for the corresponding market.

Any object can be connected with Kinéis using an adapted device, integrating a transceiver compatible with Kinéis modulations and the corresponding antenna. To connect your object with Kinéis, you may start the development of your custom connected device and become a device manufacturer, or buy off-the-shelf devices from one of your registered device manufacturer.

In order to facilitate the development of connected devices, Kinéis provides ready-to-use components handling the Kinéis protocols and easy to integrate into industrial products. Our evaluation boards and development kits allow for fast prototyping and reduced lead times to market.

Custom developments of connected devices are also possible and will need to be certified by Kinéis before connecting to its satellites. Please contact us for more information on our protocols specification and certification requirements.

Our connectivity can be seen as a complement to offer full global coverage and get rid of the roaming issues between different operators. Indeed, Kinéis encourages the development of hybrid devices able to switch automatically from a cellular network to the satellite network when the cellular coverage is lost. 

Location via Doppler effect
Kinéis offers a native Location service based on the Doppler effect, using the variation in frequency received from the device by the fast-moving satellites.
The locations computed by means of the Doppler effect:

• are accurate to within 150m,
• present the advantage of having full integrity, since they cannot be altered.

Location with an embedded GNSS receiver
Today, most of the devices include a GNSS receiver providing more accurate positions, that are simply included in a Kinéis message using the data collection service.

Kinéis is providing a connectivity service dedicated to carry small volumes of data. Since one strategic condition is to keep the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) as low as possible for our customers, Kinéis is offering a flexible pricing structure, tailored to small volumes of data, and cost-conscious modules to address the IoT market.

As an IoT operator, Kinéis offers a low-data rate connectivity allowing each device to transmit messages of up to 30 Bytes. A few 30-Byte messages can be sent per day or per hour, in order to track or monitor devices in areas where the terrestrial IoT systems are not available.

Besides the uplink for data collection from the connected devices, Kinéis can offer a downlink service allowing the devices to receive from the satellites:

• broadcasting of the constellation’s operational information (satellite and payload status and orbital parameters for each satellite),
• broadcasting of the UTC date and time,
• specific remote commands sent by the user.
• an acknowledgment after a message has been received onboard (additional bidirectional service).

The devices communicate with Kinéis satellites in UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) bands around 401MHz. This range of frequencies has the advantage of reducing free-space losses when the signal goes through the atmosphere to reach the satellite, thus allowing for reduced transmission power.

The frequencies used for Kinéis communication are dedicated to mobile satellite services and environnemental monitoring services worldwide as described in the ITU regulation.

The autonomy of a Kinéis device depends on a variety of parameters, including the communication duty cycle but also the acquisition and processing of data from various embedded sensors.

For the Kinéis communication part only and based on the existing satellites, here is an idea of the autonomy that can be reached with a small 3000mAh battery similar to those used in smartphones:

• two messages (30B) per day for 10+ years
• one message (30B) per hour for 1+ year

Please note that smaller messages can allow for longer battery life and lower transmission power.

• The consumption of other parts of the device (sensors, microcontroller…) must also be considered for a final estimation of the autonomy of a device.
• The power consumption of Kineis devices will be significantly lower once the new constellation has been launched and new modulations become available.