Optus and Myriota Show How 1MB of IoT Data Can Be Worth US$500

In August 2019, Australian wireless carrier Optus partnered with satellite Internet of Things (IoT) company Myriota to extend its IoT service coverage to remote areas that are inaccessible to its cellular network. Australia is a country with some unique challenges. It is a vast landmass that, for environmental and farming-related reasons, can benefit substantially from remote monitoring services, but cannot be entirely covered by terrestrial networks due to the low population density outside of its major cities. Tackling the outback and oceans of Australia is an extensive, rather than an intensive, opportunity for IoT connectivity, and therefore requires a new approach.

Optus has yet to confirm the applications that it will leverage Myriota’s satellite network for, although Myriota’s experience spans the environmental monitoring of marine conditions as well as water tank level monitoring. Satellite communication has never been cheap in comparison to cellular or fixed line. Its usage has been traditionally limited to as and where it is explicitly needed, such as on…