Two major companies, Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) and smart shipping pioneer Rolls-Royce Marine (RRM), signed a Letter of Intent in support of their autonomous vessel development program. Through this arrangement, RRM and Iridium will work together to explore incorporating Iridium’s next-generation L-band satellite broadband service, Iridium CertusSM, into the RRM suite of Ship Intelligence solutions. Iridium is the ideal partner for this project as the company operates the world’s largest, and only pole-to-pole, mobile commercial satellite constellation. The network is comprised of 66 crosslinked LEO satellites that blanket the entire planet with reliable satellite connectivity.
The result of this agreement is that RRM will have a resilient and reliable broadband capability that can serve as a standalone option or high throughput backup, while expanding the reach of autonomous vessels to all the world’s waterways.
RRM’s solutions deliver multifaceted enhancements to ships, enabling remote diagnostics, operations and performance monitoring capabilities. Among many offerings, these solutions provide remote access to onshore operators and control centers, delivering real-time connectivity and automation. The positive results are that by automating processes such as navigation, crew are able to focus on more valuable areas of vessel operations helping to streamline overall functionality, ushering in a new digital era of shipping.
A strategic part of the maritime industry’s future, autonomous ships are being examined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), where they are defining the regulatory environment and degrees of autonomy for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships[i]. The capabilities offered by Iridium Certus will help streamline management of vessel operations, whether for command and control, engine diagnostics, tracking information and other onboard processes for a simple, secure and reliable experience.
Iridium operates the world’s largest, and only pole-to-pole, mobile commercial satellite constellation. The network is comprised of 66 crosslinked LEO satellites that blanket the entire planet with reliable satellite connectivity. The Iridium network enables a portfolio of maritime applications, including voice and data communications, and is poised to 'supercharge' these capabilities with Iridium Certus. Enabled by Iridium NEXT, the Company’s next-generation, $3 billion satellite constellation, Iridium Certus will provide clear voice capabilities, alongside enterprise-grade broadband functionality, for the entire planet, whether on land, in the air or at sea. The service, planned for commercial availability in 2018, will soon after deliver the fastest L-band satellite broadband speeds available, through small-form-factor, cost-effective terminals. Initial service offering speeds will debut at 352 Kbps and will later be upgradable to 704 Kbps with a firmware upgrade.
Kenneth Solberg, technical product manager, Ship Intelligence, Rolls-Royce Marine stated that when evaluating partners for their remote and autonomous vessel development program and Ship Intelligence solutions, Iridium is complementing their connectivity strategy for a number of reasons. Their new interconnected Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network is able to provide global coverage with low latencies for both coastal and ocean going vessels, while at the same time having the robustness of the L-band. And being an actor with truly global coverage, including polar regions, vessel owners will have the confidence that wherever they sail their ship, it will stay connected. The small form-factor antennas and terminals enabled by Iridium Certus have no moving parts, reducing the risk of breakdowns, and are built to withstand the harsh conditions at sea. The journey of enabling Iridium Certus to be compliant with RR remote and autonomous operational requirements, sets the stage for an exciting offering that they look forward to begin exploring.
Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager, Maritime at Iridium stated that enabling the digitalization of shipping is at the core of Iridium's strategy for their maritime business, and they are proud to begin exploring this opportunity with Rolls-Royce Marine. Iridium’s constellation is an ideal network to support autonomous vessels, due to its inherent resiliency, mobility and truly global coverage. Supporting RRM’s revolutionary autonomous vessel initiative is a natural and exciting next step that they are fully equipped to take.
Iridium NEXT is the Company’s next-generation satellite constellation currently being launched by SpaceX. 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. In total, 75 new satellites are being launched to LEO, of which 66 will be in the active constellation, with nine on-orbit spares.
Iridium will be exhibiting in Hall B6 booth #244 at the SMM Maritime trade fair, September 4th to 7th in Hamburg, Germany.
[i] https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/08-MSC-99-MASS-scoping.aspx
