15th February 2018
Iridium Communications announced today that Satcom Global is a global maritime launch partner for Iridium Certus, the advanced new multi-service platform powered by the $3 billion Iridium NEXT constellation. The commitment represents a major milestone for the Iridium Certus program, allowing Satcom Global to deliver a new choice to the maritime industry and offer what will soon become the market’s fastest L-band satellite connectivity.
On service launch, expected mid- 2018, Satcom Global will offer Iridium Certus as a high throughput standalone service as well as an advanced back-up for the Satcom Global Aura VSAT service.
Please see highlights from Iridium’s press release below:
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.
Satcom Global, a worldwide expert in maritime satellite communications and engineering services, will deliver Iridium Certus to its wide network of customers as a global launch partner. As a valued Iridium partner with more than four decades of experience in the maritime market, Satcom Global will bring its value added approach to the Iridium Certus rollout.
“Iridium’s signature full global coverage, coupled with the enhanced capacity and speed of Iridium Certus, has created a real buzz in the marketplace,” said Graeme Gordon, global commercial director, Satcom Global. “We’re excited to bring this new service to our diverse maritime customer base.”
Enabled by the $3 billion Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, Iridium Certus will provide high-definition voice capabilities, alongside enterprise-grade broadband functionality, covering all of the earth’s oceans. This investment leverages the inherent advantages of Iridium’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, to deliver 100-percent global satellite broadband to the maritime market, catering to the needs of the ‘connected ship’ environment.
“Iridium Certus is creating a marketplace that brings choice and innovation, which is something the industry has been craving,” said Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager of maritime at Iridium. “For many years we have been listening to the market, and we know that mariners are often forced to sacrifice quality for bandwidth, or vice versa, due to high prices. But soon we will be delivering a standardized solution that helps solve this persistent issue. Iridium Certus is a game changer and is directly responding to the feedback we hear from our industry partners and customers.”
Iridium Certus is planned for commercial availability in mid-2018. Iridium NEXT is the Company’s next-generation satellite constellation, which will replace its existing network. To date, there have been four successful Iridium NEXT launches, deploying more than half of the new constellation. Four additional launches are planned in 2018.
For more information about Iridium Certus, please visit https://www.iridium.com/company/industryleadership/iridiumcertus or contact justask@satcomglobal.com to register for more information on the service and packages as they become available.
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