Home >> News: June 5th, 2018 >> Story
Satnews Daily
June 5th, 2018

Globecomm Compact with Iridium for Certus Satellite Service


Globecomm has signed an agreement to become a maritime distribution partner of the new Iridium Certus mobile broadband satellite service from Iridium Communications.

The agreement enables Globecomm to further extend its portfolio of satellite, LTE and hybrid connectivity solutions and integrate all of its value-added services, increasing choice for shipowners and operators. Shaped entirely around user needs, Globecomm Maritime provides robust and secure end-to-end solutions for enterprise and crew communications, IoT and M2M services.

Underpinned by Iridium’s $3 billion investment in the Iridium® NEXT satellite constellation, Iridium Certus is currently undergoing live testing, with plans to offer speeds of 352 Kbps on launch, upgradable to 704 Kbps, via small terminals and solid-state, active-array antennas. Future throughput speeds will reach approximately 1.4 Mbps and Iridium Certus will also enable multiple streaming and safety services designed to provide reliable connectivity in the harshest environments.

Iridium is already a key supplier of satellite connectivity to Globecomm, which has distributed its Iridium OpenPort® service and Iridium Pilot® terminal since launch. Globecomm will be working to make Iridium Certus a Globecomm Managed solution, as it does with other services offered to maritime and land mobile customers, providing full integration to its suite of value-added services.

Globecomm Maritime President Malcolm McMaster said that Iridium and Globecomm Maritime have a longstanding and fruitful relationship and this agreement will see that extended into the future, with Iridium Certus set to be a key offering for Globecomm clients. L-Band fills an important niche in the maritime communications landscape and Iridium Certus promises to bring it truly into the broadband era, supporting a new range of applications.