IoT devices that lose their cellular signal in a field, at sea or on a remote highway usually go quiet until they come back into range. Particle by Digi wants its latest module to keep talking. The company says its M635e has been certified by satellite operator Skylo, clearing it to fall back to Skylo's satellite network automatically when terrestrial coverage runs out.
The M635e combines four radios in a single module: global LTE-M cellular, Skylo's non-terrestrial network (NTN) service, Wi-Fi on two bands, and Bluetooth Low Energy. It ships with an antenna for OEMs to build into their own products and is available for pre-order through Particle's online store. Pricing has not been announced.
Particle is aiming the module at use cases where a missed message has real consequences: critical alerts and sensor readings from remote sites, fleet management, real-time asset tracking, and deployments in rural, agricultural and maritime areas where cellular coverage has gaps.
What Skylo Certification Means
Skylo does not own satellites. It runs a standards-based NTN service over licensed mobile satellite spectrum, partnering with satellite operators including TerreStar Solutions, Viasat, Ligado Networks and EchoStar. Its network is built on 3GPP Release 17 narrowband NTN, the same family of standards that brings satellite support to NB-IoT, which means compatible cellular chipsets can reach it without a separate satellite radio.
Certification means Skylo has run a device through its test process and confirmed it works properly on the network. For product makers, that matters because it removes a layer of uncertainty. A certified module has already been proven to connect, register and exchange data over Skylo, so OEMs do not have to run that validation from scratch.
Automatic Fallback, Not A Separate Plan
The key feature for most customers is the automatic switch. A device uses LTE-M when a cellular network is available and moves to satellite only when it is not. Skylo describes the handover as happening at the chipset level, so devices find a satellite signal once they lose terrestrial coverage.
That design suits IoT well. Most readings and alerts are small, and satellite capacity is limited. Skylo itself positions its service for messaging and low-rate data, not continuous streaming, so the value lies in making sure critical data still gets through, not in replicating a full cellular connection.
"Satellite connectivity has long been the missing piece for truly global IoT deployments," said Mike Rohrmoser, vice president at Particle by Digi.
Why A Multi-radio Module Matters
Combining cellular, satellite, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in one module addresses a common headache for hardware teams. Many connected products need more than one radio: Wi-Fi when a device sits inside a building, Bluetooth for setup or nearby sensors, and cellular or satellite for wide-area coverage. Building that from separate parts adds cost, board space, certification work and software complexity.
Karthik Ranjan, IoT partnerships leader at Skylo Technologies, said the module "gives OEMs a production-ready path to integrate cellular and satellite connectivity into IoT products."
Particle's pitch has always been to bundle hardware with its cloud platform, device management and over-the-air updates, so customers can move from prototype to production without assembling every piece themselves. The M635e extends that approach to satellite.
How It Fits The Wider NTN Market
Particle is one of a growing number of hardware suppliers with Skylo-certified products. Quectel announced Skylo certification for its BG95-S5 satellite communication module at CES 2025, and Nordic Semiconductor secured Skylo certification for its nRF9151 cellular IoT module in December 2025.
That breadth matters. The more modules and chipsets that support standards-based NTN, the easier it becomes for device makers to add satellite as a routine option instead of a specialist feature. It also puts pressure on proprietary satellite IoT systems that require dedicated hardware.
Satellite links to ordinary devices are drawing investment from several directions, from standards-based NTN services like Skylo to companies building space-based cell towers, such as the approach we described in our piece on AST SpaceMobile's bet on towers in space.
Particle's Place Inside Digi
The certification comes about eight months after Particle became part of Digi International. Digi announced the acquisition in January 2026, paying $50 million in cash for a business with about $20 million in annual recurring revenue and a community of more than 250,000 developers.
Digi, based in Hopkins, Minnesota, framed the deal around what it calls embedded-as-a-service: selling connectivity, device management and software alongside hardware, with recurring revenue attached. A satellite-capable module with a managed service behind it fits that model, because customers pay not only for the module but for the ongoing connectivity it enables.
What Buyers Should Weigh
For companies considering the M635e or similar modules, a few practical questions stand out:
· How often devices will actually be out of cellular coverage, and how much data they need to send when they are.
· What satellite data plans cost compared with cellular, since usage patterns will drive the total cost.
· How much extra power satellite transmission uses, which matters for battery-powered devices.
· Whether the antenna and mechanical design allow a clear view of the sky, which satellite links generally need.
Those answers will vary widely. A livestock tracker in open pasture and a sensor inside a metal cabinet face very different conditions.
For a refresher on the low-power networks these modules build on, our explainer on LPWAN networks covers LTE-M and NB-IoT. And for a look at tracking assets that sit far from power and coverage, see our profile of Sensolus tracking unpowered assets.
The Bottom Line
The Particle M635e's Skylo certification is a small but useful step in a larger shift. Satellite fallback is moving from specialist hardware into mainstream IoT modules, built on the same cellular standards device makers already use.
For OEMs building products that roam beyond cellular coverage, a certified multi-radio module with a managed platform behind it could shorten development and reduce integration risk. How widely it is adopted will depend on pricing, satellite data costs and how well the module performs in the field.
