Lone Whisper Satellite IoT (Lacuna Space)

Lacuna Space Ltd is a satellite IoT company based at the Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, with a subsidiary in the Netherlands. The company provides low-cost direct-to-satellite connectivity for sensors and mobile equipment in places where cellular coverage is absent, and reports more than EUR 20 million invested in its technology.

Lone Whisper is Lacuna's implementation of LoRa over satellite (LR-FHSS). It is an end-to-end system made of satellite gateway payloads, almanac distribution so devices wake only when a satellite pass is due, the LWiN device software, and a ground message broker that routes data to the customer's application. It is compatible with LoRaWAN sensors and is used in agriculture, environmental monitoring, utilities and logistics.

• LoRa over satellite: LR-FHSS direct-to-satellite uplink from low-power devices.
• Almanac scheduling: satellites broadcast pass timings so devices wake only when needed.
• LWiN software: device software that manages sleep cycles, buffering, uplink timing and frequency adaptation.
• Ground message broker: a global broker delivers messages across satellites to the customer dashboard.
• Starter kit: a multiNode sensor device with one year of messages for testing.
• D2D partner network: operators can fly Lacuna gateway payloads on their own satellites.

Monitoring soil moisture and water levels on remote plantations and aquaculture ponds in the Mekong Delta or Central Highlands. Tracking containers or equipment on cross-border logistics routes. Environmental sensing at rivers and reservoirs without cellular coverage.

Connects sensors anywhere without terrestrial infrastructure. Devices wake only for satellite passes, supporting long-life battery operation. Published per-device pricing starts at GBP 36 per device on the IoT Builder plan. Compatibility with LoRaWAN sensors lowers hardware lock-in.

Demand for direct-to-satellite IoT is growing as enterprises need monitoring of assets and land beyond cellular reach. LoRaWAN-based satellite links give agriculture, water and logistics operators a low-cost option. In Vietnam and Southeast Asia, remote farms, coastal waters and offshore areas are natural fits.

Based at Harwell Campus, UK, with a Netherlands subsidiary. Supported by the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency and ESA BIC UK (proof of concept from March 2017). Reports over 4 million messages delivered and an early D2D partnership with dstelecom (Portugal).