MCLEAN, Va., June 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) announced today that COMSAT Inc., Gilat Telecom, Globecomm, MetOcean Telematics, NSSLGlobal, Trace Systems and Wireless Innovation, have officially been added as Iridium Certus^SM service providers for land-mobile applications. Ideal for organizations in need of "on-the-move" connectivity solutions, Iridium Certus will bring a full suite of services enabling the first truly globally connected vehicles when used with the Thales MissionLINK™ terminal. Each of these new Iridium Certus service providers will play a crucial role in distributing the next-generation service to their unique customer networks. The addition of these seven companies brings the total number of service providers for land-mobile applications to 20.

The Iridium Certus service includes features like high-quality voice calling and low latency IP data with speeds debuting at 352 Kbps, and upgradable to 704 Kbps download speeds with a future firmware release. This will provide the fastest reliable L-band satellite broadband connectivity on the market. Land-mobile users will gain access to a truly connected environment whether at a remote work site or on-the-move with connected vehicles.

Due to the architecture of the Iridium satellite constellation, with 66 crosslinked, low-earth-orbit satellites, users will experience consistent data speeds everywhere on the planet, unlike geostationary networks that experience degraded performance at higher latitudes or may be blocked entirely by mountains or other obstructions. This consistency can give end-users the peace-of-mind that key features of the Iridium Certus service, like dynamic service access, will remain accessible. Dynamic service access will allow multiple users to place phone calls via smartphone or wired line while simultaneously using the satellite data connection to send and receive email messages and access online information. In addition, the solution will enable creation of a 'radio gateway', providing connectivity through the Thales MissionLINK terminal that will allow Land Mobile Radio (LMR) users to integrate SATCOM with their dispatch centers, or link field LMR teams together allowing them to communicate over the Iridium satellite network. This can expand the reach of LMR systems beyond line of site and enable SATCOM to LMR communication, globally.

"Each service provider is invaluable to the success of Iridium Certus," said Josh Miner vice president, land-mobile business, Iridium. "Having an expansive distribution network is at the core of our business strategy and helps us directly address the need for reliable connectivity anywhere on the planet. We recognize that businesses are expanding operations to the most remote and rugged locations on earth, and with Iridium Certus, there will be greater speed capability with the same resilience and dependability the Iridium network is known for." Miner continued, "Not only will the service work across the globe, but the hardware is small and able to withstand harsh conditions, making it a very competitive option for today's ever-expanding market."

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 six successful Iridium NEXT launches, deploying 55 new satellites. Two additional launches are planned for 2018 to complete the constellation of 75 new satellites, of which 66 will be in the active constellation, with nine on-orbit spares. The seventh launch is currently targeted by SpaceX for July 20, 2018 out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Visit us! Iridium will be onsite at the CommunicAsia ConnecTech Exhibition and Summit at the Marina Bay Sands & Suntec Singapore between Tuesday June 26th and Thursday June 28th, 2018: Marina Bay Sands Level 1, Booth 1Q2-01

For more information about Iridium Certus, please visit https://www.iridium.com/company/industryleadership/iridiumcertus.

For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNEXT.com.

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 deployment and capabilities of the Iridium NEXT constellation and products and services to be offered over the constellation, including Iridium Certus, as well as the potential market for such products and services. 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, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 22, 2018, and in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on April 26, 2018, 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.