Sateliot has launched the first satellite of its new 5G-IoT standard Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation.

The company claims the GroundBreaker satellite is the first-ever 5G standard LEO satellite, with the Barcelona-based communications provider outlining its target of boosting coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

It was a case of fourth time lucky for Sateliot, following three unsuccessful launches due to weather conditions, as the satellite was launched at 11:47 pm Pacific Time aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg US Space Force Base in California.

Sateliot's GroundBreaker is the first of a 250 LEO satellite constellation that will work as cell towers from space, the company said.

The company claims that IoT users will be able to switch from a terrestrial to a non-terrestrial 5G network, without needing to purchase any additional hardware, such as antennas or modems.

Sateliot has also struck roaming agreements with mobile operators, meaning that users can keep their existing SIM cards and mobile operators for their IoT devices.

Its GroundBreaker satellite weighs 22lbs, with Sateliot claiming it 'can cover an area three times as big as Texas,' while it takes roughly 90 minutes to complete a full Earth orbit.

The satellite has an onboard module that allows direct NB-IoT connection for any 5G device upgraded Rel 17 NTN, with the firm noting that its technology will enable it to provide a seamless extension of NB-IoT telecom operator's coverage.

This follows from Sateliot partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a cloud-native 5G service to provide its customers with narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) connectivity.

Sateliot said that it has a sales pipeline of over €1.2 billion ($1.31bn), while the company is to reach €1bn ($1.1bn) in revenues and a €370 million ($403m) EBITDA by 2026.