Nordian signs Starlink deal for factory-fit satellite links
Fri, 15th May 2026 (Today)
Nordian has signed an agreement with Starlink to resell satellite internet services to industrial original equipment manufacturers in agriculture, transport and mining.
The deal allows manufacturers to install Nordian's positioning and connectivity system on equipment at the production line, so machines leave factories with satellite links already in place. The setup is designed for assets operating in remote areas where mobile coverage is weak or absent.
The agreement adds Starlink service to Nordian's existing industrial positioning and fleet management offer. Manufacturers have faced high integration costs and limited production-line options when trying to add satellite connectivity to machinery.
That has been a persistent issue in sectors that rely on machinery spread across isolated areas. In farming, long-haul transport and mining, patchy network coverage can limit the use of telemetry, automation and data analysis tools already built into equipment.
Nordian's service combines satellite connectivity, centimetre-level positioning and fleet intelligence in a single embedded product for manufacturers. Starlink kits are being integrated into its UltraLink gateway, which is built for industrial environments and can be managed through dashboards and application programming interfaces linked to manufacturers' own systems.
Factory installation
By moving installation to the factory floor, Nordian aims to remove a hurdle that has often slowed adoption of satellite links in industrial equipment. Instead of fitting hardware after purchase, manufacturers can build connectivity into tractors, harvesters, trucks and mining machines before delivery.
This gives equipment the ability to send data in real time, receive remote software updates and stay connected to control systems even outside the reach of terrestrial mobile networks.
Nordian has also outlined a shared data model under which usage is pooled across devices, with billing based on total consumption. The approach is intended to replace fixed-allowance plans that can be less efficient for low-usage applications and large fleets with varying data needs.
Sector demand
Nordian is targeting three sectors where equipment often operates beyond urban network infrastructure. In agriculture, the focus is on tractors and harvesters in remote fields. In transport, the emphasis is on vehicles travelling long-distance routes. In mining, the target is machinery operating at isolated sites that need regular communication with control centres.
The agreement also responds to demand from equipment makers for formally supported solutions that provide both hardware and service from an authorised source. Under the arrangement, manufacturers will be able to buy Starlink hardware and service through Nordian, alongside technical support and device management.
Nordian says it already works with dozens of equipment manufacturers across agriculture, mining and transport. Its customer base includes some of the largest agricultural original equipment manufacturers and 80 per cent of the top 20 South American agriculture companies, supported by more than 150 positioning stations across Brazil and Argentina.
Based in Austin, Texas, Nordian positions itself as a supplier of infrastructure for industrial automation in difficult operating environments. Its business centres on combining positioning, connectivity and fleet management into a single platform for manufacturers deploying equipment at scale.
Carlos Agusti, Nordian's Director of Sales for the Americas in Brazil, said the agreement reflects the growing role of connectivity and positioning in industrial automation.
"Physical AI runs on three things: precise positioning, connectivity, and fleet intelligence. Nordian delivers all three as one solution, so OEMs can bring new technology to market dramatically faster," he said.
"Just as the internet transformed urban dynamics in recent decades, continuous connectivity in operational environments has the potential to redefine how machines, data, and operations integrate," Agusti said.