FOSSA Satellite, NOS and CAPTEMP have completed a pilot validating hybrid 5G and satellite IoT connectivity for continuous monitoring of refrigerated containers at sea. Tested aboard a GS Lines vessel on a voyage between Lisbon and Funchal, the system automatically switched from NOS’s terrestrial 5G network to FOSSA’s low-Earth-orbit nanosatellite network when the vessel moved beyond mobile coverage, maintaining data transmission offshore.
The trial was developed through NOS’s 5G TestBed and addressed a connectivity gap affecting maritime cold-chain shipments, including pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive goods. CAPTEMP’s monitoring devices collected temperature, humidity and alarm data, which was transmitted to its central platform for storage, analysis, deviation detection, trip-history management, auditing and transport-condition traceability.
The devices used NOS 5G in port and coastal areas before transferring automatically to FOSSA’s satellite service in open water. The demonstration validated the architecture in a maritime operating environment rather than in a laboratory and gives the partners a potential route towards deployment in maritime logistics and other applications requiring IoT connectivity beyond terrestrial network coverage. The pilot did not disclose performance metrics, commercial contract terms or a rollout schedule.