Iridium Communications Inc. announced today that KDDI Corporation, Navarino and NSSLGlobal Ltd., are the newest Iridium Certus service providers for the maritime industry. Iridium Certus will offer a L-band satellite broadband connectivity solution.
With higher speeds, state-of-the-art small form factor terminals and competitive pricing options, Iridium Certus will offer a complete communications platform for all mariners and can serve as a primary service or VSAT companion solution. Together, each Iridium Certus service provider brings its own unique set of value-added qualities to the program.
Connectivity and technology solutions provider Navarino brings its expertise and global reach to the Iridium Certus program. This includes a focus on offering both standardized services and comprehensive and customized maritime connectivity solutions.
With a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, KDDI Corporation will help deliver Iridium Certus to APAC mariners, in additional to its other customers around the world.
SATCOM provider NSSLGlobal Ltd., has added Iridium Certus to its extensive portfolio of maritime solutions where the Iridium Certus service will act as a primary L-Band service and a companion to NSSLGlobal’s VSAT IP@SEA service.
“Every service provider is crucial to the success of Iridium Certus,” said Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager, Maritime Line of Business at Iridium. “The addition of these three service providers not only ensures a smooth upcoming launch for Iridium Certus but also further validates the interest and broad demand for Iridium Certus in the marketplace.”
Commercial service availability for Iridium Certus is planned for 2018. Iridium Certus will be introduced to the market in a series of speed classes. Initial service offering speeds will debut at 352 Kbps and will later be upgradable to 704 Kbps through a firmware upgrade. The service will also support safety services and a range of streaming options. Enabled by Iridium NEXT, the company’s next-generation, $3 billion satellite constellation, Iridium Certus will provide higher quality voice capabilities, alongside enterprise-grade broadband functionality, for the entire planet, whether on land, in the air or at sea. To date, there have been seven successful Iridium NEXT launches, deploying 65 new satellites. One launch remains before completion of the company’s historic constellation refresh.