MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that over the last 12 months, ending June 30, 2016, the company shipped over 2,200 Iridium Pilot® units, concluding with one of the best quarters in company history.  Iridium Pilot, which is powered by Iridium OpenPort®, Iridium's current global broadband service, is one of the fastest growing maritime products in the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) industry today.  Over the same 12-month period, Iridium OpenPort subscriber base increased by 9 percent across the company's vast partner network and customer base.

"We equip our customers' fleets with the most reliable solutions, not only to ensure business continuity, but also so personnel feel safe and connected to life on land," said Tore Morten Olsen, president maritime, Marlink. "We are pleased to work with Iridium to provide truly global back up coverage which we pair with our best-in-class Marlink Sealink VSAT.  By combining VSAT and MSS we are able to offer a broader range of connectivity solutions for ship owners to choose from. Therefore, Iridium is an important partner for Marlink to provide the highest levels of flexibility for ship owners across all maritime segments and vessel sizes."

Iridium's maritime line of business focuses on value, offering Iridium Pilot packages that deliver reliable satellite communications via the Iridium network, at prices that are flexible for shipping companies and vessels of all sizes.  The network, which is a constellation located in low Earth orbit (LEO), is the only truly global satellite constellation, providing robust and reliable satellite connectivity anywhere on the planet, making it an ideal provider for mariners, especially those traveling in remote waters.

"It is an exciting time to work at Iridium and to be serving the maritime industry," said Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager, maritime line of business at Iridium. "The strong performance of Iridium Pilot, combined with Iridium's progress towards achieving certification to provide Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) communications, and the next-generation broadband service, Iridium CertusSM, on the horizon, demonstrates that Iridium is poised to take the lead in one of the fastest growing verticals in the satellite industry.  We are proud to be able to provide the industry what it needs, offering valuable and flexible alternatives for mariners who need reliable communications."

The Iridium Pilot terminal can be used as a primary means of communication on ships or as a VSAT backup solution.  The device has a small, rugged design and omnidirectional L-band antenna, ensuring that it can perform in rough maritime environments, without taking up too much space on any ship. The Iridium team has prepared for the upcoming launch of Iridium NEXT, the company's next-generation satellite constellation, by ensuring that all Iridium Pilot terminals are forward compatible, meaning that existing equipment will work across both networks.  For more information about Iridium Pilot, please visit https://iridium.com/products/details/iridiumpilot

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 development and capabilities of the Iridium NEXT constellation and services to be offered over the constellation, including Iridium Certus. 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 development and functionality of Iridium NEXT and related services, potential delays in the Iridium NEXT deployment, 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, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("the SEC") on February 25, 2016, 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:

Diane Hockenberry
Iridium Communications Inc.
+1 (703) 287-7421
Diane.Hockenberry@iridium.com