Air cargo tracking has traditionally depended on a shipment passing through identifiable checkpoints. Hubble Network and Reelables are seeking to extend visibility beyond those fixed locations by combining Bluetooth-enabled labels, a distributed gateway network and satellite connectivity.

The anywhere label operates similarly to other Bluetooth Low Energy asset tags, continuously advertising its presence. When the signal is detected by a participating device on the Hubble network, the location is uploaded to the Reelables server and made available to the customer.

Alex Haro, CEO of Hubble Network, said customers can configure the reporting cadence according to the label’s transmission power and transmission rate and commenting, “on the Hubble side, we don’t throttle or charge based on how often a label reports, so customers have direct control over their own reporting cadence throughout transit.”

However, the frequency of location updates can vary according to geography and the availability of nearby gateways. Continuous transmission from the label does not necessarily mean that every signal is immediately detected and reported. A location update is generated when the label comes within range of a participating device. To increase coverage in specific locations, Hubble has released open-source gateway software development kits that allow companies to turn existing devices into Bluetooth scanners.

“Hubble has released a set of open source Gateway SDKs that let companies turn existing devices, including phones, telematics units, and routers, into additional Hubble BLE scanners, extending coverage in specific zones at no cost,” Haro explained.

The company says the network currently spans more than 100 million gateways across 170 countries. Hubble has also established a Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation intended to add visibility in areas where terrestrial access points are limited. Together, the terrestrial and satellite elements are designed to reduce gaps as cargo moves between warehouses, airports, road networks and other locations. Hubble said the satellite layer would help close remaining coverage gaps as the constellation develops, although no satellite coverage or reporting-frequency data was provided in the interview.

The system has already supported live air cargo operations, according to the companies. When an access point is connected to the internet, network traffic can be reported to the cloud in real time. When connectivity is unavailable, the information is reported retrospectively once the connection is restored.

This distinction is important for cargo users. A temporary loss of connectivity does not necessarily result in the permanent loss of movement data, but it can mean that an update becomes available after the event rather than while the shipment is in transit.

Performance inside cargo equipment

Signal detectability is one of the central practical questions for any wireless cargo-tracking technology. Labels may be placed inside ULDs, insulated packaging or other containers that can interfere with communication. Hubble and Reelables said detectability depends on both the label’s transmission power and the material surrounding it.

“The anywhere label has shown strong performance in various ULDs and temperature-controlled packaging,” Aaron Kim, Vice President of Reelables said.

However, Reelables advised users not to attach the label directly to a metal surface because this can cause communications interference. The interview did not provide detection rates, tested ULD models or comparative performance results for different packaging materials.

Cost remains another barrier to the wider adoption of shipment-level tracking. Reelables said its pricing includes the label, connectivity, application programming interfaces and software access rather than charging for each element separately. Data generated by the labels is typically owned by the customer, while security and access management are handled through the software provider. Reelables also operates an open integration ecosystem intended to allow other software platforms to incorporate its location data.

For airlines, freight forwarders and logistics providers, the attraction lies in gaining visibility between established cargo checkpoints without installing dedicated infrastructure at every location. The remaining test will be whether the claimed network scale translates into sufficiently frequent and reliable updates across live international air cargo routes, including inside ULDs and in areas with limited terrestrial connectivity.

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