Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that two
key milestones along the path to becoming the second recognized
provider of Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) services
have been reached. During its 98th session this past June, the
International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) adopted new performance standards for GMDSS
equipment and approved amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS) Treaty, which pave the way for Iridium to become a
recognized GMDSS service provider. The key remaining step in the
approval process is an IMO resolution recognizing Iridium as a
certified GMDSS mobile satellite service provider. Iridium
expects this will be completed during calendar year 2018, with
Iridium GMDSS service to begin in 2020.
Iridium formally began the process to become a recognized GMDSS
mobile satellite service provider in April 2013, and in March of
2016 announced that the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC)
Subcommittee on Navigation, Communication and Search and Rescue
(NCSR) demonstrated broad support to incorporate Iridium as a
mobile satellite GMDSS provider. The most recent meeting of the
MSC, held from June 7th to 16th, updated the performance
requirements for GMDSS equipment to reflect the new, enhanced
capabilities mobile satellite companies can offer to the service.
Amendments to the SOLAS Treaty opened the door for GMDSS mobile
satellite services to be provided by companies other than Inmarsat,
and will for the first time in history allow mariners a choice of
GMDSS mobile satellite service provider. These developments pave
the way for Iridium, and other networks, to become recognized GMDSS
service providers.
“We have been working collaboratively with the IMO and member
states for several years. The most recent meeting rewarded the hard
work with the achievement of these milestones,” said Brian
Pemberton, vice president and general manager, strategic planning
at Iridium. “The IMO and the maritime community recognize that
GMDSS needs to modernize, and additional service providers is one
part of that.” Pemberton continued, “Most importantly, we worked
closely with the IMO to establish new standards that will bring
choice and competition to this critical service area for the first
time. Competition is key to ensuring that mariners are provided
best-in-class communications for safety purposes, which is a must
out at sea.”
As the only communications company with truly global coverage,
including the polar regions, the addition of Iridium as a GMDSS
service provider is critical to the future of maritime safety and
comes with added value for the industry. Arctic shipping routes are
becoming more heavily used, including the Northern Sea Route and
Northwest Passage, resulting in an increased need for reliable
emergency communications. Iridium’s GMDSS services complement
the game-changing capabilities offered by the Company’s
next-generation communications platform, Iridium Certus.
Iridium Certus will enable vessels to combine industry-leading
broadband and global safety communications within a single
terminal, reducing hardware and recurring costs.
“Over the last decade, we have established ourselves as a
trusted player in the maritime safety and security domain,” said
Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager, maritime at
Iridium. “Once we secure complete GMDSS recognition, our leadership
position within this market will be strengthened. With the
availability of Iridium Certus and GMDSS recognition, we will be
able to provide real choice to mariners when it comes to broadband
communications and critical safety services all from one
terminal.”
The Iridium network is a constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit
(LEO), cross-linked satellites that provide reliable, low-latency
satellite communications to the entire world, including the
poles. The Company is in the process of replacing its
existing network with new satellites, known as Iridium NEXT.
This next-generation constellation is being launched by SpaceX
through a series of eight launches, with two successful launches
already complete. It will deliver faster speeds, higher
throughputs and act as an innovation engine for Iridium partners
and customers. Due to the inherent advantages of the existing
network, in combination with the upcoming enhancements provided by
Iridium NEXT, Iridium is the ideal network for mobile satellite
communications, especially search and rescue efforts and safety
services, like GMDSS.
For more information about Iridium maritime products, services
and solutions, please visit
https://www.iridium.com/solutions/maritime.
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite
communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables
connections between people, organizations and assets to and from
anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner
companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of
reliable solutions for markets that require truly global
communications. The company has a major development program
underway for its next-generation network — Iridium NEXT. Iridium
Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and
its common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under
the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium
products, services and partner solutions,
visit www.iridium.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical
facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has
based these statements on its current expectations and the
information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements
in this presentation include statements regarding the approval
process for Iridium GMDSS services, the capabilities of new
products and services, including Iridium Certus, and the timing for
deployment of the Iridium NEXT constellation. Forward-looking
statements can be identified by the words “anticipates,” “may,”
“can,” “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “likely,”
“will,” “to be” and other expressions that are predictions or
indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding potential delays in
the Iridium NEXT deployment, the development and functionality of
Iridium NEXT and related products and services, and the company’s
ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its
satellite constellation, as well as general industry and economic
conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological
factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements
include those factors listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in
the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February
23, 2017, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from
time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium’s expectations
will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected,
estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes
no obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Press Contact:
Jordan Hassin
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 (202) 232-6601
Jordan.Hassin@iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumComm
Investor Contact:
Kenneth Levy
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 (703) 287-7570
Ken.Levy@Iridium.com
Twitter: @IridiumIR
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