Skylo Signs KT SAT distribution deal for satellite IoT in South Korea

Skylo signed a distribution agreement with KT SAT on November 11, 2026, to bring standards-based satellite IoT services to South Korea. Under the agreement announced that day, KT SAT will use Skylo’s network to provide satellite-enabled IoT services in Korea covering maritime vessel monitoring, asset and cargo tracking, remote equipment monitoring, and environmental monitoring. The Via Satellite report describes the arrangement as Skylo’s entry into the South Korean market and its first carrier partnership in East Asia. Before the service can begin, KT SAT needs regulatory approval from Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, and the companies said KT SAT will apply to the ministry for authorization to support commercial satellite IoT services in Korea. The companies disclosed the regulatory requirement in the same announcement. Skylo is not a satellite operator but works with satellite operators holding mobile satellite services spectrum to operate as a non-terrestrial network service provider and enable direct-to-device services.

This arrangement lets Skylo act as a service provider rather than owning or operating satellites itself. The company builds its service on 3GPP standards, a standards-based design intended to deliver greater accessibility and help KT SAT build IoT services that work beyond terrestrial network limits. KT SAT Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kyeong-il Choi said satellite connectivity is becoming an increasingly important extension of the communications services customers rely on.\n\nParticle by Digi, a division of Digi International, announced on September 23, 2026, from San Francisco that its M635e device had achieved Skylo certification. Particle described the M635e as its first device combining cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite NTN connectivity, giving IoT developers and enterprises a validated path to extend connected IoT solutions beyond terrestrial cellular networks.\n\nThe M635e blends Skylo’s satellite-based Non-Terrestrial Network with global LTE-M cellular, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity.

Within reach of terrestrial networks, the device uses cellular service for low-latency, high-throughput communication to send routine data, update firmware over the air and manage fleets in real time. This explains how the M635e handles ordinary communications while within reach of terrestrial networks before switching to satellite.\n\nWhen devices move beyond cellular range, they automatically fall back to satellite so mission-critical alerts, sensor data and status updates reach the cloud without interruption. The automatic shift closes coverage gaps, cuts the risk of lost data in remote deployments, and gives operators steady visibility over assets wherever they operate.\n\nA Skylo certification means a device, module, or platform has passed testing and validation for interoperability with the company’s standards-based NTN service. Broadening the roster of certified devices helps developers, OEMs, carriers and enterprise customers roll out NTN services more consistently.

Using a Particle Muon single-board computer, developers can prototype and move toward production knowing that compliance, carrier acceptance and NTN interoperability are verified. The Particle Muon single-board computer serves as the prototyping hardware for teams building on the M635e after Skylo certification is completed.\n\nThe pre-certified approach shortens development cycles, cuts certification expenses and removes a major launch risk for teams. Original equipment makers using the Particle M635e with the supplied antenna may seek their own Skylo Certification without charge through a product-equivalency process. This option expands the ecosystem of certified devices beyond the initial M635e certification announced on September 23, 2026.\n\nGrowing the certified device ecosystem helps developers, OEMs, carriers and enterprise customers deploy NTN services more consistently and with better user experiences.

The certification program confirms that hardware is able to connect to Skylo’s standards-based NTN service.\n\nMike Rohrmoser, Vice President at Particle by Digi, addressed the milestone on September 23, 2026, when Particle by Digi said its M635e had earned Skylo certification. He described satellite connectivity as the missing piece for truly global IoT deployments. “Satellite connectivity has long been the missing piece for truly global IoT deployments.”\n\nKarthik Ranjan, IoT Partnerships Leader at Skylo Technologies, made his remark while describing the Particle by Digi M635e as a production-ready path for original equipment manufacturers. He said each new certified device makes standards-based connectivity simpler to adopt.

“Every device added to the Skylo certified ecosystem makes standards-based connectivity easier to adopt.” The M635e is available for pre-order through the Particle Store at store.particle.io/m635e. Developers can prototype on a Particle Muon single-board computer and move to production knowing Skylo has already verified compliance, carrier acceptance and NTN interoperability. Skylo says its commercially deployed NTN service reaches millions of devices across consumer, enterprise, and IoT applications. Skylo calls its approach the Standardized Sky, says its commercially deployed NTN service keeps connectivity reliable, efficient and available wherever needed, and has its headquarters in Mountain View, California.