In a first, the US-based spacetech startup Hubble Network has successfully connected via Bluetooth to a satellite 600 kilometers distant; this advancement has the potential to link millions of devices worldwide.

Transpose Platform and Y Combinator have contributed $20 million to the investment round for the Seattle-based firm.

The US-based Vandenberg Space Force Base is where Hubble Network successfully launched its first two satellites on March 4, 2024.

The business stated on its blog that “these aren’t just any satellites; they’ve successfully reached their orbits and managed to receive signals from a simple 3.5mm Bluetooth chip over an astonishing distance of 600 kms.”

“We’ve disproved thousands of skeptics. By showcasing that we can send signals directly from Bluetooth chips and receive them in space 600 km away, we’ve opened a new realm of possibilities,” said Alex Haro, co-founder and CEO of Hubble Network.

Through a simple software update, any commercially available Bluetooth device may now connect to a satellite network even in the absence of cellular service, so “paving the way for a revolution in the Internet of Things (IoT)”.

“Imagine global coverage with 20 times less battery drain and 50 times lower operating costs. It’s not just an improvement; it’s a transformation,” according to the startup.

The ramifications are wide-ranging, ranging from defense, where safe and dependable communication is critical, to agriculture, where farmers can leverage more from currently available low-power, low-cost sensors without the need for extra costly space-enabled technology.

In order to investigate further prospects, Hubble Network said that it is now collaborating with pilot clients in industries such as consumer electronics, building, infrastructure, supply chain, logistics, oil and gas, and defense.

To enable connectivity to Hubble’s network, a user must integrate a firmware update into the chipsets of their devices.

The yearly sales of roughly five billion Bluetooth devices suggest that this new connectivity could have a significant impact.

This year, Hubble wants to send up a third satellite on a SpaceX mission.