Satellite IoT and direct-to-device company OQ Technology and Nordic Semiconductor advanced non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity options in a test of equipment the latter launched last week.

OQ Technology stated it used Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 SMA development kit to transmit IoT data to its constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

The companies proved the set-up can deliver end-to-end NB-IoT connectivity, an advance Nordic Semiconductor senior product director for long-range BU Kristian Saether said could help close coverage gaps.

Pairing the nRF9151 module with OQ Technology’s satellites means customers can “extend coverage without redesigning hardware”, Saether said.

The tests showed Nordic Semiconductor’s equipment can connect to OQ Technology’s satellites without modifying the hardware, which the satellite player stated shows the mass-market potential and commercial readiness of NTN IoT.

OQ Technology explained the collaboration “confirms that a mainstream, widely adopted cellular IoT module can operate seamlessly over a 5G NTN satellite network, enabling large-scale device adoption worldwide”.

The company highlighted it offers a 3GPP-compliant NTN NB-IoT RAN stack and a fully functional 5G core.

Founder and CEO Omar Qaise hailed a “breakthrough” which he said “reflects years of NTN innovation” by the company.