- Tech News & Insight
- September 18, 2025
- Hema Kadia
Iridium Communications and Deutsche Telekom (DT) are collaborating to integrate Iridium NTN Direct with DT’s global IoT footprint, enabling DT customers to roam onto Iridium’s low Earth orbit (LEO) network for narrowband IoT. The service targets 3GPP-compliant 5G NTN for NB-IoT, bringing satellite reach to sensors, machines, and vehicles. Commercial launch is slated for 2026, pending integration, testing, and a roaming agreement. DT is among the first major mobile operators to pursue a standards-based NTN IoT integration, aligning with its broad NB-IoT/LTE-M roaming strategy. The pairing aims to offer seamless terrestrial-satellite service without proprietary devices or walled gardens.