March 27, 2018

Iridium Communications Inc.  announced that Speedcast has signed an agreement to become a land-mobile service provider for its next-generation satellite broadband technology, Iridium Certus. Speedcast joins a world-class group of service providers and will help further expand the Iridium Certus footprint. Designed for on-the-move vehicles, assets and teams, Iridium Certus will support the only truly global communications solution enabling capabilities like real-time vehicle tracking, internet, phone and data transfer, all from one service.

Already a global maritime launch partner for Iridium Certus, Speedcast will bring its international network and expertise to the Iridium Certus land-mobile program as well. "We are excited to continue working with Iridium to expand our portfolio of services with Iridium Certus," said Tim Bailey, Executive Vice President, Products, Marketing, and Business Development, Speedcast. "Iridium Certus will greatly complement our Speedcast Atlas™ managed services portfolio delivering reliable communications to end users anywhere on the planet. We look forward to continuing working with Iridium for many years to come."

Specific to the land-mobile market, Iridium Certus will run on the new Thales MissionLINK^TM terminal, ideal for off-the-grid public safety, utility, oil and gas, military and non-government organization applications. Iridium Certus will offer cost-effective, reliable and global L-band satellite broadband communications that can smoothly transition between satellite and cellular connectivity as needed, providing the end user unprecedented flexibility.   

"Expanding our global partner ecosystem is a key component of our Iridium Certus strategy," said Josh Miner, vice president, land-mobile line of business, Iridium. "For the land-mobile market, Iridium Certus is ideal for customers operating vehicles on the move and in remote areas.  The solution can act as a multi-service communications platform, supporting all connectivity needs or as a complementary solution, filling the gaps in coverage where cellular falls short.  It will allow customers to configure terminals to match their specific needs and requirements, helping to control costs and provide a seamless experience, which is raising the bar within the industry. We are looking forward to expanding our partnership with Speedcast and rolling out the service in the coming months."

Testing of the Iridium Certus service is already underway and will be commercially introduced in a series of service classes.  Current focus is on the 352 Kbps speed class and will be updated to 704 Kpbs through a firmware update available at a later date. The service will operate on the Iridium^® network and will leverage the inherent advantages of the constellation. Through its unique architecture of 66 low earth orbit crosslinked satellites, Iridium Certus will provide a global reach that is highly reliable, even in rugged terrain and inclement weather, making it an ideal solution for mobile and remote applications.  

Iridium Certus is enabled by the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, which is in the process of replacing the original Iridium network.  To date, there have been four successful Iridium NEXT launches, deploying more than half of the new constellation. Four additional launches are planned for 2018.