FAQs

Do you have questions about Kinéis and satellite IoT connectivity?
Find clear answers in our FAQ, covering our technology, global coverage, how the network works and the different use cases.

Understanding satellite IoT

What is satellite IoT?

Satellite IoT is a technology that connects objects to the Internet using satellites, without relying on terrestrial networks such as 4G, 5G or local low-power networks (LPWAN). It is particularly suited to tracking and monitoring applications in remote or hard-to-reach areas.

Unlike terrestrial IoT networks, satellite IoT provides global coverage, including oceans, deserts, mountains and polar regions. It enables connected devices to transmit essential data—such as location, status or sensor measurements—from anywhere in the world.

Satellite IoT is commonly used for asset tracking, environmental monitoring, logistics, maritime applications and agriculture, where network availability and reliability are critical.

What is Kinéis satellite IoT connectivity?

Kinéis satellite IoT connectivity is a low-data-rate satellite IoT solution designed to transmit essential data from connected devices anywhere in the world. It relies on a dedicated satellite constellation, enabling reliable communication even in areas with no terrestrial network coverage.

The Kinéis solution is optimized for very small message sizes and low power consumption, allowing devices to operate for several years on battery power. It is well suited to asset tracking, equipment monitoring, environmental protection and maritime mobility use cases.

With its global coverage and low-data-rate approach, Kinéis satellite IoT connectivity ensures the regular and secure delivery of critical information, even in the most challenging environments.

To learn more about Kinéis satellite connectivity, read our dedicated article.

Read the full article

What is the difference between satellite IoT and terrestrial IoT?

The main difference between satellite IoT and terrestrial IoT lies in the type of network used to transmit data.

Terrestrial IoT relies on ground-based infrastructure such as cellular networks (2G, 4G, 5G) or low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN). It works well in areas covered by these networks, mainly urban and suburban environments, but becomes limited when network coverage is unavailable.

Satellite IoT, on the other hand, uses satellites to transmit data. It provides global coverage, including remote and hard-to-reach areas such as oceans, deserts, mountains and polar regions. This makes it possible to connect devices where terrestrial networks are absent or unreliable.

These two approaches are often complementary: terrestrial IoT is well suited for densely connected areas, while satellite IoT addresses tracking and monitoring needs in remote, mobile or infrastructure-free environments.

Want to learn more? Discover our blog article explaining the differences and complementarity between networks.

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Can satellite connectivity replace terrestrial networks?

Satellite connectivity is not intended to fully replace terrestrial networks, but rather to complement them effectively within IoT architectures.

Terrestrial networks (LPWAN, 5G, etc.) are highly efficient in areas where infrastructure is available. However, they have coverage limitations, particularly in remote, rural, maritime or hard-to-reach areas. Satellite IoT connectivity helps bridge these coverage gaps by providing global coverage, independent of local infrastructure.

Today, the most relevant approach for IoT relies on hybrid connectivity, combining terrestrial and satellite networks. This complementarity ensures continuity of IoT services by using terrestrial networks when available and satellite connectivity when they are not.

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Network coverage & availability

What is the coverage of Kinéis satellite connectivity?

Kinéis connectivity provides global coverage, including terrestrial and maritime areas as well as remote or hard-to-reach regions where terrestrial networks are unavailable.

Thanks to its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Kinéis enables data transmission anywhere on the planet without relying on cellular networks or local infrastructure. This global coverage ensures the continuity of IoT and AIS services, regardless of the country, environment or operating conditions.

Kinéis satellite connectivity is therefore particularly well suited for applications requiring reliable, worldwide connectivity, including tracking, localization and data collection in areas beyond terrestrial network coverage.

To learn more about our satellite constellation, read our detailed blog article “What Is a Satellite Constellation?”

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Does Kinéis IoT work without cellular networks?

Yes. Kinéis Connectivity operates independently of cellular networks (2G, 4G, 5G), by enabling connected devices to communicate directly with the Kinéis satellite constellation. This allows data transmission even in areas with no mobile network coverage.

In many cases, IoT devices use a hybrid connectivity approach. They can combine Kinéis satellite connectivity with terrestrial networks (cellular or LPWAN) when available, and automatically switch to satellite communication when terrestrial coverage is lost.

This hybrid model makes it possible to:

ensure continuous connectivity without service interruption,
optimize power consumption and operating costs,
guarantee reliable data delivery in all environments, whether urban, rural or remote.

Thanks to this flexibility, Kinéis IoT integrates easily into existing IoT architectures and is well suited for tracking and monitoring mobile or isolated assets anywhere in the world.

Is the Kinéis connectivity available?

Yes. Kinéis IoT connectivity is available and fully operational.

The Kinéis constellation, composed of 25 nanosatellites dedicated to IoT and AIS connectivity, has been in service since early June 2025. It was deployed through five launches of five satellites each, carried out in 2024 and 2025.

Today, the constellation is in orbit and already collects data from more than 20,000 active devices worldwide.

How the technology works

How does Kinéis IoT connectivity work?

Kinéis IoT technology operates through a simple and efficient data transmission chain.

Data sent by a Kinéis-enabled IoT device (beacon) are transmitted to the nearest nanosatellites, regardless of the environment in which the object is deployed (terrestrial, maritime or remote).

The data are then collected by one of Kinéis’ 20 ground stations worldwide and processed by the Kinéis service center, which operates 24/7.

Finally, the information is delivered to users, usually within a few minutes, depending on their location.

How are assets located by satellites?

Kinéis provides native asset positioning based on the Doppler effect, directly performed by its low Earth orbit satellite constellation.

By analyzing the variation in the frequency of the signal transmitted by the terminal as satellites pass overhead, the Kinéis system calculates the asset’s position without requiring any onboard positioning sensor.

This Doppler-based positioning:

provides high location accuracy
ensures full integrity, as the position is calculated by the satellite system itself and cannot be altered by the terminal.

How can an object be connected to the Kinéis network?

An object can be connected to the Kinéis network using a Kinéis-compatible IoT terminal, also referred to as a beacon.

This terminal, either embedded in or attached to the object, enables data transmission to the Kinéis satellite constellation without relying on terrestrial networks. Sensor data are sent via satellite, then collected by Kinéis ground stations before being processed and delivered to users.

To be connected to the Kinéis network, the device must:

integrate a Kinéis-compatible communication module;
comply with the technical specifications of the network;
be certified by Kinéis to ensure proper operation and compliance.

This approach enables objects to be connected anywhere in the world, including remote areas without terrestrial network coverage.

Satellite IoT use cases

What use cases is Kinéis satellite IoT best suited for?

Kinéis satellite IoT is designed for applications where terrestrial networks are unavailable or unreliable, and where it is essential to collect or transmit critical data from connected objects anywhere in the world. Thanks to its global coverage and reliable low-data-rate connectivity, Kinéis supports a wide range of real-world use cases across multiple industries.

🌍 Asset tracking and logistics

Kinéis enables continuous tracking of mobile or remote assets, even in areas without cellular coverage:

tracking of containers throughout global supply chains, including maritime routes,
multimodal asset tracking across land, sea and remote regions,
monitoring and localization of rail wagons to improve operational visibility and asset management.

🚢 Maritime applications

Satellite IoT is particularly well suited to maritime environments:

monitoring and tracking of fishing vessels to support safety and sustainable practices,
tracking of leisure boats beyond coastal coverage,
maritime asset monitoring where connectivity is critical and infrastructure is limited.

🏗️ Infrastructure monitoring

Kinéis supports the monitoring of isolated or hard-to-access infrastructure:

surveillance of remote water infrastructure such as reservoirs and pipelines,
monitoring of electrical networks and high-voltage lines to detect anomalies and optimize maintenance operations.

🌱 Environmental monitoring

Kinéis satellite IoT enables environmental data collection in remote areas:

monitoring water quality and detecting pollution in rivers, lakes or isolated locations,
collecting environmental sensor data where terrestrial IoT networks are unavailable.

Discover our use cases

Data performance & security

What volume of data can a device transmit with Kinéis connectivity?

As a satellite IoT operator, Kinéis provides low-data-rate connectivity, perfectly suited to large-scale tracking and monitoring applications. Each device can transmit very small messages, sufficient to send essential information such as a position, an identifier, a status update or data from a sensor.

Depending on the application and operational requirements, a few messages per day can be transmitted by the devices. This approach enables the tracking of assets, animals and equipment, or the collection of environmental data, even in the most remote areas where terrestrial IoT networks (cellular or LPWAN) are unavailable.

This low-data-rate approach ensures:

very low power consumption, extending device battery life,
reliable global transmission thanks to the Kinéis satellite constellation,
an IoT solution optimized for essential data rather than large data volumes.

Kinéis IoT is therefore not designed to transmit large data streams, but to ensure the regular and secure delivery of critical information, anywhere in the world.

Are the data collected and transmitted by Kinéis secure?

Yes. Data are secured end to end and relies on an infrastructure that is fully controlled and operated in France.

At Kinéis, the entire communication chain is Made in France:

the satellites are French,
the ground segment (stations and operations centers) is located in France,
operations and data processing are carried out on secure French infrastructures.

This full control ensures a high level of security at every stage, from the radio transmission between the device and the satellite, through reception and processing, to the delivery of data to end users.

Kinéis satellite IoT therefore incorporates security mechanisms tailored to professional IoT use cases, ensuring:

data confidentiality,
data integrity during transmission,
reliable and sovereign operation of collected information.

Thanks to this approach, Kinéis meets the requirements of critical tracking and monitoring applications while offering a secure and sovereign connectivity solution, anywhere in the world.