Iridium Unveils World's Smallest Two-Way Satellite Data Transceiver

NEW ORLEANS, May 8, 2012 -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM), today unveiled the world's smallest, commercial, two-way satellite data transceiver — the Iridium 9603. Announced at International CTIA Wireless 2012, the Iridium 9603 is a data module designed for embedding into machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions for remote asset tracking, monitoring and alarming in defense, government, enterprise and consumer markets where existing larger transceivers could not fit.

 

"With the 9603, Iridium is disrupting the global M2M market by becoming relevant to new customer segments such as personnel tracking for consumers and governments as well as fleet, vehicle and heavy equipment tracking and monitoring," said Joel Thompson, vice president, product management, Iridium. "Through this product evolution, Iridium continues to drive forward its Iridium ForceSM strategy of facilitating personal portable communications through our innovative approaches to reduce the size of our data and voice/data modules. The 9603 opens up a whole new set of ways for people and assets to make vital, two-way connections reliably, in near real-time. This device, which is smaller than a matchbook, further enables Iridium's vital communications service with the same rich feature set in a terrific value proposition. And of course, Iridium is the only telecommunications carrier in the world that can offer 100 percent pole-to-pole coverage through its meshed network of 66 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites."

 

The Iridium 9603 is 70 percent smaller by volume, and half the board footprint of the Iridium 9602. The Iridium 9603 breaks down design barriers and enables Iridium's 275 partners to embed global connectivity in hand-held personal tracking devices and even smaller vehicles, containers, devices for field monitoring, command and control applications, and unattended sensors.

 

"With the terrestrial M2M market now growing faster than ever, Iridium and its partners are dramatically increasing the prospects for satellite M2M along a similar path with this new development," said Robin Duke-Woolley, chief executive officer of Beecham Research. "The major reduction in size of the 9603 transceiver will encourage smaller end user devices with embedded satellite connectivity. This type of technology innovation moves satellite M2M into application areas traditionally considered to be the preserve of terrestrial wireless and will further accelerate Iridium's fast growth in the Mobile Satellite Services market."

 

GMPCS looks forward to new Iridium devices.