One connected-asset family across six link layers: Bluetooth Low Energy, cellular, non-terrestrial satellite, NFC, ultra-wideband and RFID. The link layer is a design decision driven by range, power budget, required accuracy and the infrastructure already on site — not a separate product line. Most real deployments use two.
| Product | Link layer | Application |
|---|---|---|
| BLE Asset Tags and Beacons | Bluetooth Low Energy | Indoor asset and personnel location, proximity, zone presence |
| BLE-to-IP Gateway | BLE, uplinked over Wi-Fi or Ethernet | Aggregating tag data into the cloud |
| Cellular Asset Tracker | LTE-M, NB-IoT or LTE Cat-1 | Outdoor and in-transit tracking with GNSS |
| NTN Tracker Variant | Cellular primary, satellite fallback | Continuity where terrestrial cellular coverage is unavailable |
| NFC Fuel Tank Identification | NFC | Tank identity and dispenser authorisation |
| NFC Nozzle Reader | NFC | Nozzle-side identification for dispensing control |
| RFID Tags and Readers | UHF and HF RFID | Inventory, access control, traceability |
| UWB Precision Location | Ultra-wideband | Sub-metre indoor positioning |
| GNSS, IMU and Heat Mapping | GNSS with inertial sensing | Movement analytics and dwell mapping |
| Fleet Telematics Unit | Cellular with GNSS | Vehicle tracking, utilisation, driver behaviour |
The honest comparison. Range, accuracy, power and infrastructure pull against each other, and the site usually decides before the datasheet does.
| Link | Typical range | Position accuracy | Battery life | Infrastructure required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFC | Under 10 cm | Contact — identity, not position | Passive or years | Reader at the point of use |
| BLE | 10–100 m | Zone to a few metres | 1–5 years on a coin cell | Gateways or receivers on site |
| UWB | 10–50 m | Sub-metre | Months to 2 years, duty-cycled | Anchor network on site |
| RFID (UHF) | 1–12 m | Portal or zone | Passive tags | Readers at choke points |
| Cellular with GNSS | Wide area | Metres, outdoors | Weeks to years by reporting rate | Operator coverage only |
| NTN satellite | Global | Metres, outdoors | Lower — higher energy per message | Sky visibility |
Battery figures depend heavily on reporting interval, temperature and cell chemistry. Treat them as bands for architecture decisions, not as specifications.
An asset that leaves a warehouse, crosses a country and arrives at a remote site does not need two tracking systems. It needs one device whose normal path is cellular and which falls back to a non-terrestrial link when terrestrial coverage runs out.
Treating these as separate product lines produces two fleets, two platforms and two sets of data with a gap in the middle. Treating them as one connected-asset solution with a coverage-continuity layer produces one record of where the asset has been.
An NFC tag on the tank identifies it to the dispensing system, so product is authorised against the right vessel rather than against a manually keyed reference.
A reader in the nozzle assembly confirms the pairing at the moment of dispensing, closing the loop between authorisation and delivery.
Dispensing events, volumes and identities flow to the platform, so reconciliation is a query rather than a paperwork exercise.
Range, accuracy and existing infrastructure decide it. NFC for identity at the point of use; BLE for zone-level indoor tracking with multi-year battery life; UWB where sub-metre accuracy matters and an anchor network is affordable; RFID for portal and inventory reads; cellular with GNSS for outdoor and in-transit; and NTN satellite where terrestrial coverage fails. Most deployments combine two.
An NFC tag identifies the tank, and a reader at the dispenser or in the nozzle assembly confirms the pairing before and during dispensing. Authorisation, volume and identity are recorded together, which makes reconciliation a data query rather than a manual reconciliation of paperwork.
Data is buffered on the device and forwarded when coverage returns. Where continuity is required rather than eventual delivery, the NTN variant falls back to a satellite link, with reporting policy tuned because satellite messaging costs more energy and money per message.
BLE gives zone-level to few-metre accuracy with multi-year battery life and modest infrastructure. UWB gives sub-metre accuracy but needs an anchor network and more energy per fix. If the question is which room, use BLE. If it is which bay within a room, UWB earns its cost.
Tell us the specification, the constraint and the deadline. Programmes that cross silicon, radio, embedded and AI are where Faststream is strongest.