Hubble Network has moved its Bluetooth-to-satellite service into general availability, allowing compatible Bluetooth devices to communicate beyond terrestrial coverage without adding a dedicated satellite modem.
Hubble Network is taking a different approach: using the Bluetooth Low Energy radio already present in many devices as the satellite communication interface.
Turning Bluetooth into a direct-to-satellite link The important distinction is that Hubble is not positioning satellite connectivity as another radio subsystem alongside Bluetooth.
Companies already using the terrestrial network can extend compatible devices to satellite coverage through a firmware update, according to Hubble.
For the wider IoT market, the significance lies less in adding another satellite network than in potentially changing which devices can use one.