OQ Technology has successfully launched two new LEO satellites, TIGER-5 and TIGER-6, aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and the Transporter-9 mission. The satellites separated successfully from the upper stage of the rocket and were deployed into orbit 1 hour and 15 minutes post-launch.

Both satellites are 6U sized smallsats carrying “cell tower” NB-IoT payloads. They join OQ 5G NTN IoT satellite constellation, which now has a total of eight satellites. The company has been on a fast track to launch many satellites this year to complete its batch 1 that can then provide global narrowband IoT coverage to many apps and clients.

The 5G satellite market has been growing rapidly with many users shifting from proprietary solutions to standard 3GPP protocols. OQ is a front runner globally in offering LEO satellite narrowband communication for machines and IoT.

This launch comes after a month from the successful launch of the firm’s MACSAT satellite on a Vega rocket from Kourou.

OQ Technology’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Omar Qaise, expressed satisfaction with the progress. He said, “As promised, we are on track in completing our batch 1 of 10 satellites to serve our critical clients globally and expand our commercial reach. We are very proud of the results we have achieved thanks to our brilliant team that makes sure everything runs smoothly and on schedule. Many thanks also to our partners for trusting and supporting us.”