Maritime Industry Readies for a New Era of Choice with Iridium Certus(SM) Global Launch Partners

Maritime Industry Readies for a New Era of Choice with Iridium Certus(SM) Global Launch Partners
Industry Leaders Ready to Offer Next-Generation Pole-to-Pole Satellite Broadband Connectivity for Maritime Applications
February 14, 2018 08:01 ET | Source: Iridium Communications Inc

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that Marlink, Speedcast, Applied Satellite Technologies Ltd (AST) and Satcom Global are the initial global maritime launch partners for Iridium Certus. The first regional maritime launch partner, Arion, will focus on delivering Iridium Certus to the Asian market. These commitments represent a major milestone for the Iridium Certus program, allowing each company to deliver a new choice in the maritime industry and offer what will soon become the market’s fastest L-band satellite connectivity.

For decades, the maritime industry lacked truly global coverage and had only one real choice for L-band connectivity at sea. This changed with Iridium®, and with the introduction of Iridium Certus, a cutting-edge alternative has arrived for mariners. Offering a high-performing, competitively priced solution that features state-of-the-art technology, Iridium Certus is designed to meet the needs of the ‘connected ship.’ Operating on small-form-factor terminals with solid-state, active-array antennas, the service will enable more efficient business operations, cost-effective crew welfare solutions, and safety communications, while providing a pole-to-pole, truly global grid for Internet of Things (IoT) smart ship applications. Already undergoing live testing, Iridium Certus terminals built by Cobham and Thales will debut at speeds of 352 Kbps, later upgradable to 704 Kbps through a firmware update. With eventual speeds reaching approximately 1.4 Mbps, Iridium Certus will also enable multiple streaming classes and safety services designed to provide reliable connectivity in even the harshest environments.

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