Knowing where something is indoors, outdoors and out of coverage is one problem, not three. Faststream builds tracking systems that hand off between BLE, UWB, RFID, cellular and satellite links so an asset produces one continuous record rather than three partial ones with gaps between them.
| Link | Range | Accuracy | Battery life | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFC | Under 10 cm | 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 on site |
| UWB | 10–50 m | Sub-metre | Months to 2 years | Anchor network on site |
| RFID (UHF) | 1–12 m | Portal or zone | Passive | Readers at choke points |
| Cellular with GNSS | Wide area | Metres outdoors | Weeks to years by reporting rate | Operator coverage |
| NTN satellite | Global | Metres outdoors | Lower per message | Sky visibility |
The normal transport is cellular, because it is cheaper in energy and money per message and available across most of the route. Satellite carries the link where terrestrial coverage does not reach — an ocean leg, a remote site, a long stretch of empty highway.
The device decides. It attempts cellular, buffers when it fails, and escalates to the non-terrestrial link when continuity is required rather than eventual delivery. Reporting policy differs by transport, because a message that costs ten times as much should not be sent at the same interval.
Handoff between indoor and outdoor works the same way. A tag seen by a BLE gateway inside a facility and by GNSS outside it is one asset with one history, not two records that a human has to reconcile.
BLE zone tracking inside, RFID portals at doors, cellular in the yard, all reporting to one platform.
Cellular with GNSS as the normal path, satellite continuity across coverage gaps, condition sensing alongside location.
Long-life low-cost tags on pallets, cages and containers, with portal reads and periodic audits rather than continuous tracking.
Tighter reporting, geofencing, tamper and movement alerts, and recovery support.
Zone presence, mustering and lone-worker checks, with a privacy posture agreed before deployment.
NFC identification of tanks and nozzles binding a dispensing event to the right vessel.
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, BLE is enough. If it is which bay, UWB earns its cost.
The device buffers data and forwards it when coverage returns. Where continuity matters more than eventual delivery, an NTN satellite link carries the message, with reporting policy tuned because satellite costs more energy and money per message.
Yes, and they should. A tag seen by a BLE gateway indoors and by GNSS outdoors is one asset with one history. Splitting them across two systems creates a gap exactly where loss tends to occur.
BLE tags typically run one to five years on a coin cell depending on advertising interval and temperature; UWB tags months to a couple of years duty-cycled; cellular trackers weeks to years depending on reporting rate. Reporting policy, not chemistry, is usually the dominant variable.
Tell us the specification, the constraint and the deadline. Programmes that cross silicon, radio, embedded and AI are where Faststream is strongest.