A Seattle-based startup backed by a $20 million funding round from Transpose Platform and Y Combinator, Hubble Network, has set up a Bluetooth connection.
Alex Haro, co-founder and CEO disclosed the groundbreaking development in a press release seen by Newsng on Friday.
Being the first firm in history to connect a Bluetooth device directly to a satellite, Hubble Network’s achievement validates the company’s technology. It may pave the way for the global connection of millions more devices.
The Spacetech startup verified that it has received signals from the onboard 3.5mm Bluetooth chips from more than 600 kilometres away since it sent its first two satellites into orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 ride-sharing mission in March.
The company explained in the blog post that the latest achievement is a critical step forward for Hubble Network.
Conventional networks frequently suffer from poor coverage, difficult integrations, excessive battery consumption, and unaffordably expensive pricing, which restricts their applicability and range.
This technology has the potential to transform the Internet of Things (IoT) by enabling any commercially available Bluetooth-enabled device to establish a direct connection to Hubble’s satellite network, eliminating the need for cellular reception.
It offers 50x reduced running costs, 20x less battery drain, and worldwide coverage to address these long-standing problems.
This order-of-magnitude boost in capability is anticipated to revolutionise several industries, linking more than a billion devices globally and creating new opportunities for efficiency and innovation.
“Our mission to build the world’s first truly global, cost-effective, and battery-efficient network has taken a significant leap forward with this technological breakthrough,” said
“By showcasing that we can send signals directly from Bluetooth chips and receive them in space over 600km away, we have disproved thousands of sceptics who claimed what we’re attempting was impossible.”
Newsng gathered that the company also holds a patent for a phased array antenna that is capable of being launched on a tiny satellite.
We earlier reported that at the Microsoft Build: AI Day in Kuala Lumpur, Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, announced a $2.2 billion investment to create new cloud and AI infrastructure in Malaysia
