Asset-tracking company Band24 is looking for businesses to test Terra, a new tracker that combines Bluetooth, LTE-M cellular and satellite connectivity. According to FreightWaves, the early-access program has a Nov. 13 deadline. Selected participants are expected to receive devices in December, though Band24 has not set an exact delivery date. Commercial availability is planned for early 2027.
Band24 announced Terra on Oct. 6. It is aimed at trailers, shipping containers and other equipment in areas with limited network coverage. The company says the device can track location, movement, dwell time, temperature, humidity and tampering.
How the three networks work
Terra is designed to use a terrestrial Bluetooth network of more than 100 million crowdsourced access points for routine updates and location. It uses LTE-M cellular when coverage is available, and falls back on Hubble Network's low-Earth-orbit satellite network when the other two are unavailable.
Hubble's technology lets Bluetooth Low Energy devices send small data packets directly to passing satellites using their existing Bluetooth radios, with no dedicated satellite modem. Terra also uses GPS and Wi-Fi localization. Satellite coverage provides coarse location only. The device decides when to report and which network to use based on factors such as LTE availability, nearby Bluetooth access points and sensor inputs.
Band24 says Terra can return an on-demand location update in about a minute when cellular or terrestrial Bluetooth is available. Outside those networks, updates depend on a Hubble satellite passing overhead, so they follow the satellite's schedule rather than an on-demand clock. Hubble reported six satellites in low-Earth orbit as of Sept. 23, 2026, and Band24 expects satellite performance to improve as the constellation grows.
Status, hardware and open questions
Terra is still in testing and development, and Band24 is working through regulatory certification. The company estimates battery life at four years but says measurements are ongoing and the figure is directional. The enclosure is rated IP68.
The tracker will connect to Band24's existing Ranger dashboard and Events API. Users will activate and assign devices with an NFC-enabled smartphone. Terra will be licensed per unit, and customers will not need to buy hubs or build private networks.
Band24 has not announced hardware or subscription pricing and says it will share it closer to general availability. It has also not provided location-accuracy figures or data on satellite reporting reliability, according to FreightWaves.
The launch comes as cargo theft remains a problem. Verisk's CargoNet recorded 2,646 confirmed cargo thefts in the United States and Canada in 2025, up 18% from 2024. Estimated losses reached nearly $725 million, up 60%, and the average value per theft rose to $273,990.
CEO Patrick Patel said in the announcement that businesses can see their equipment "until the exact moment it matters most, and then it's gone dark."
