Semtech and Skylo partner on first unified terrestrial-satellite IoT platform

Semtech has expanded its partnership with Skylo Technologies to introduce what they describe as the industry’s first single-vendor IoT platform integrating both terrestrial and satellite connectivity. The collaboration combines Semtech’s Skylo-certified HL7810 and HL7812 Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) modules with Skylo’s Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), Smart Connectivity Premium SIM, and AirVantage® cloud management service—offering end-to-end device-to-cloud coverage for global IoT deployments.

The solution aims to eliminate the connectivity gaps and high total cost of ownership (TCO) that have hindered traditional satellite IoT solutions. Devices can automatically switch between terrestrial cellular and satellite networks, ensuring uninterrupted service for use cases such as logistics, agriculture, utilities, maritime, and energy. The offering consolidates connectivity, certification, and management under one contract and interface, giving enterprises unified access to over 600 mobile networks in 190 countries and Skylo’s NTN coverage spanning 36 countries and 60 million square kilometers.

Skylo operates a 3GPP-compliant NTN virtualized RAN (vRAN) that connects directly with existing satellites operated by Viasat, Terrestar Solutions, Ligado Networks, and EchoStar. By leveraging this infrastructure, Semtech’s integrated IoT offering supports LTE-M, NB-IoT, NTN, and 2G fallback through its HL781x series, while AirVantage provides full lifecycle management of devices, SIMs, and billing. General availability is expected in November 2025, with pilot testing underway for qualified customers.

• Combines terrestrial and satellite IoT in one contract and one SIM

• Enables seamless handover between networks for continuous coverage

• Covers 190+ countries and 36 with NTN access, totaling 60 million sq km

• Uses Skylo’s NTN vRAN with partners including Viasat, Terrestar, Ligado, and EchoStar

• Supported by Semtech’s AirVantage platform for unified management and billing

“Semtech is our first partner to deliver Skylo-certified modules with integrated network access,” said Tarun Gupta, chief product officer and co-founder at Skylo. “By integrating Skylo’s satellite network directly into Semtech’s Smart Connectivity platform, we’re making NTN IoT as simple as ordering a traditional cellular solution.”

🌐 Analysis

Skylo is a Mountain View, California–based startup that builds a non-terrestrial network (NTN) enabling direct satellite connectivity for smartphones and IoT devices when terrestrial cellular networks are unavailable. Its mission is to “drive extreme accessibility of connectivity for cellular devices worldwide,” by integrating satellite and cellular networks into a seamless experience.

Skylo’s core technology is built on 3GPP Release-17 NTN standards. The company operates a standards-based cloud-native virtual RAN and core network that manages roaming between terrestrial and satellite links, and leverages licensed mobile satellite spectrum combined with partnership access to existing satellite capacity (e.g. Viasat) rather than launching its own constellation.

The founding team includes Parthsarathi “Parth” Trivedi (CEO and co-founder), Andrew Nuttall (CTO), Andrew Kalman (Chief Hub Architect), and Tarun Gupta (Chief Engineer) among others. In 2025, Guillaume Kempf joined as CFO. Trivedi previously worked in connectivity and network infrastructure spaces and holds leadership experience in scaling tech ventures.

Skylo’s go-to-market approach hinges on partnerships with mobile network operators (MNOs), device OEMs, and chipset firms (e.g. Qualcomm, Samsung) to certify devices for end-user satellite fallback. One notable commercial partner is Verizon, which launched direct-to-device messaging over Skylo’s network as a supplemental satellite channel for customers. Other collaborations include work with Inmarsat, SoftBank, and brokered integration with Viasat’s satellite assets.

On the funding front, Skylo has raised multiple rounds: a $37 million round in 2024 led by Intel Capital and Innovation Endeavors, and in early 2025, an oversubscribed $30 million investment led by NGP Capital (with participation from Westly Group, Intel Capital, BMW i Ventures, Samsung Catalyst, Next47, etc.). That latest round is part of raising a cumulative ~$183 million in capital.

Key milestones thus far include launching commercial D2D (direct-to-device) services in the U.S., Europe, and in 2025 expanding to Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand; achieving device certification for flagship phones; and enabling millions of users to send fallback messages in disaster or no-coverage zones. In 2024, Skylo became the first firm to commercially combine satellite fallback messaging with terrestrial carriers like Verizon.