This paper focuses on the use of satellite communication systems for the support of Internet of Things (IoT). We refer to the IoT paradigm as the means to collect data from sensors or RFID and to send control messages to actuators. In many application scenarios, sensors and actuators are distributed over a very wide area, in some cases they are located in remote areas where they are not served by terrestrial access networks and, as a consequence, the use of satellite communication systems becomes of paramount importance for the Internet of Remote Things (IoRT). The enabling factors of IoRT through satellite are: 1) the interoperability between satellite systems and sensors/actuators; 2) the support of IPv6 over satellite. Furthermore, radio resource management algorithms are required to enhance the efficiency of IoT over satellite. In this work we provide an integrated view of satellitebased IoT, handling this topic as a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces to be assembled are represented by the following topics: MAC protocols for satellite routed sensor networks, efficient IPv6 support, heterogeneous networks interoperability, quality of service management, group-based communications. Index Terms-Internet of Remote Things (IoRT), Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to Machine (M2M) communications, satellite communications, Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSAN).

This paper addresses the use of channel state information (CSI) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) signal fingerprinting localization. In particular, the paper proposes a novel CSI-based signal fingerprinting approach, where fingerprints are descriptors of the "shape" of the channel frequency response (CFR) calculated on CSI vectors, rather than direct CSI vectors. Experiments have been carried out to prove the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed method and to study the impact on the localization performance of (i) the bandwidth of the available LTE signal and (ii) the availability of more LTE signals transmitted by different eNodeB (cell diversity). Comparisons with other signal fingerprinting approaches, such as the ones based on received signal strength indicator or reference signal received power, clearly show that using LTE CSI, and in particular, descriptors as fingerprints, can bring relevant performance improvement.

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Recently, the availability of innovative and affordable COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) technological solutions and the ever-improving results of microelectronics and microsystems technologies have enabled the design of ever smaller yet ever more powerful satellites. The emergence of very capable small satellites heralds an era of new opportunities in the commercial space market. Initially applied only to scientific missions, Earth observation and remote sensing, small satellites are now being deployed to support telecommunications services. This review paper examines the operational features of small satellites that contribute to their success. An overview of recent advances and development trends in the field of small satellites is provided, with a special focus on telecommunication aspects such as the use of higher frequency bands, optical communications, new protocols, and advanced architectures.