Nordic's AI and Satellite Leap Redefines Global IoT Connectivity

BARCELONA, Spain – March 02, 2026 – Nordic Semiconductor today unveiled a sweeping expansion of its cellular Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio, signaling a major strategic push to dominate the next era of connected devices. At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, the company introduced two new product families, the nRF92 and nRF93 series, and significant upgrades to its established nRF91 series, all designed to provide ultra-low-power, secure, and resilient connectivity for a world anticipating billions of new IoT devices. The announcement charts a clear course from advanced LTE-M and NB-IoT to satellite networks and the future of 5G.

The New Frontier: Edge AI and Satellite Integration

At the heart of the announcement is the nRF92 Series, which Nordic is positioning as its most advanced and integrated cellular solution to date. Set for general availability in early 2027, the series moves beyond simple connectivity by embedding a high-performance application processor with Nordic’s proprietary Axon Neural Processing Units (NPUs). This integration brings ultra-low-power edge AI capabilities directly to the device, a crucial development for the industry.

By processing data locally, devices equipped with the nRF92 can perform complex tasks like anomaly detection in industrial sensors or pattern recognition in smart meters without constantly sending data to the cloud. This approach dramatically reduces power consumption, enabling multi-year battery life, while also lowering data transmission costs and enhancing user privacy. The integration of a multi-constellation GNSS receiver and Wi-Fi locationing within the same tiny package further solidifies its utility for a new generation of trackers, labels, and wearables that require precise positioning both indoors and out.

Simultaneously, Nordic is fortifying its existing nRF91 Series by fully embracing satellite connectivity. The new nRF9151 module now includes 3GPP-compliant Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) capabilities, allowing devices to connect directly to both GEO and LEO satellite constellations. This is a game-changer for applications in logistics, smart agriculture, and remote infrastructure monitoring, where terrestrial cellular networks are often unavailable or unreliable. The global satellite IoT market is projected to surge past $6 billion by 2030, and this move positions Nordic to capture a significant share. The nRF9151 also includes a sub-GHz fallback option, creating a multi-layered safety net to ensure connectivity is maintained even in the most challenging environments.

"Nordic is building the next era of cellular IoT, and we are expanding our portfolio to give developers the most trusted, power-efficient, and scalable connectivity platform for billions of devices worldwide," said Vegard Wollan, CEO at Nordic Semiconductor, in a statement. "Our goal is to make globally connected products easier to build, deploy, and scale – from chip to cloud."

A Strategic Play for Market Consolidation

The product expansion is not just a technological leap but a calculated strategic maneuver to secure leadership across the full spectrum of cellular IoT. While the nRF92 targets the high-end, low-power market, the new nRF93 Series is aimed squarely at the burgeoning LTE Cat 1 bis segment. The nRF93M1 module, available from mid-2026, offers a significant throughput boost—up to 10 Mbps downlink—making it ideal for data-hungrier applications like asset tracking gateways, fleet management systems, and security devices.

Cat 1 bis is emerging as a vital mid-tier technology, bridging the gap between low-power, low-data-rate LPWAN technologies and more power-intensive 4G/5G standards. By entering this market with a solution that maintains its hallmark low-power consumption, Nordic is challenging established players and providing a clear migration path for customers whose data needs are growing.

Further cementing this long-term vision, the company confirmed it is actively collaborating with lead customers on 5G eRedCap (Reduced Capability) technologies. RedCap is designed to bring the benefits of 5G—such as reliability and lower latency—to IoT devices without the cost and power overhead of full 5G NR. With industry analysts forecasting that optimized RedCap chipsets will drive mass adoption starting in 2026, Nordic's roadmap provides developers with the confidence that their investments today will be compatible with the networks of tomorrow.

"This expansion marks a defining moment for Nordic's long-range strategy," commented Oyvind Birkenes, EVP of Long-Range at Nordic. "A unified, market-leading portfolio spanning across these technologies gives developers clarity, confidence, and a long-term roadmap they can rely on - even as networks and requirements evolve worldwide."

Connecting the Unconnected and Building Resilience

Beyond the corporate strategy and technical specifications, the implications of Nordic's new portfolio extend to solving fundamental real-world challenges. The integration of satellite NTN connectivity is pivotal for bridging the digital divide, enabling robust monitoring and control systems in sectors that have historically been underserved by technology. In smart agriculture, sensors can now report soil moisture from the most remote fields. In logistics, a shipping container can be tracked seamlessly as it moves from a warehouse with Wi-Fi, across a country via cellular, and over an ocean via satellite.

This theme of resilient, ubiquitous connectivity is further supported by the introduction of the nRF91M1 module. This compact, pre-certified "Smart Modem" is designed for simplicity and speed, allowing manufacturers who may not have deep cellular expertise to quickly add robust connectivity to their products using a simple AT-command interface. It lowers the barrier to entry, potentially spurring innovation across a wider range of industries.

The combination of these technologies promises to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure. Energy grids can be monitored more effectively, supply chains become more transparent, and environmental sensors can provide vital data from disaster-prone areas without relying on vulnerable terrestrial networks. As global systems become increasingly interconnected, the ability to guarantee a connection is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Nordic's comprehensive approach, from on-device AI to global satellite links, is engineered to provide that guarantee. With lead customer sampling for the new series already underway, the industry will be watching closely as these technologies move from the convention floor in Barcelona to deployment in devices around the world.