China-based wireless module maker Fibocom said two of its LTE Cat.1 bis modules connected to SpaceX’s Starlink Direct to Cell network during live testing in New Zealand, extending a standard cellular design toward satellite coverage for Asia-Pacific internet-of-things deployments.
The company said its LE270-EU and LE271-GL modules registered on the live network, established internet protocol data sessions and transmitted data without satellite-specific hardware changes. The modules used standard firmware during tests conducted outdoors, in a vehicle and inside a building, according to Fibocom’s November 9 field report.
Under open-sky outdoor and in-vehicle conditions, Fibocom said the LE270-EU reached downlink throughput of about 2.2 megabits per second, while the LE271-GL reached about 2.0 megabits per second. Both recorded uplink throughput of about 0.3 megabits per second. Network registration took between one and 30 seconds, and ping response rates ranged from 80 percent to 90 percent.
Performance fell in an indoor hotel-room test with an obstructed view of the sky. Downlink throughput dropped to about 0.5 megabits per second in some scenarios, while ping response rates were about 65 percent to 70 percent and some requests took longer to complete.
The figures come from Fibocom’s own field testing and have not been independently audited. The company did not disclose the mobile operator, precise locations, sample size, test duration, equipment configuration beyond the two modules, or whether network conditions were controlled.
Satellite link raises power demands
Fibocom said uploading the same file through the satellite link used about 1.5 to 1.8 times as much energy as a terrestrial cellular connection. It attributed the difference to longer transmission times, higher transmit current and retransmissions, while saying the modules retained a low-power sleep mode current of 2.5 microamperes.
The LE270 and LE271 series measure 17.7 by 15.8 by 2.4 millimeters and are designed for low- to medium-rate connectivity. Fibocom is positioning the modules for equipment such as asset trackers, agricultural sensors and environmental monitors that send relatively small data packets from locations with limited ground-based coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell places LTE base-station functions on low Earth orbit satellites and works with mobile network operators to connect compatible devices. Its usefulness depends on operator partnerships, spectrum, network access rules and local service availability; the Fibocom test does not by itself indicate commercial certification or general availability for devices using the modules.
The New Zealand trial adds a satellite test to the LE270 family after Fibocom announced in October that the LE270-KR had obtained Korean certification and KT network approval for terrestrial deployments. The company said it is continuing to optimize firmware compatibility for the LE270 and LE271 series, focusing on faster network registration and more resilient connections.