Iridium completes first Iridium Certus broadband call

Iridium Communications has successfully conducted the first ever voice and data ground test call over the next-generation Iridium Certus broadband network, currently under development.

Iridium Certus is the new global broadband capability being introduced on Iridium NEXT — Iridium's next-generation satellite constellation.

The voice and data call utilized and demonstrated the capabilities of three newly developed core components of the Iridium Certus communications system for the first time: the broadband satellite terminal, Iridium NEXT satellites, and upgraded capabilities in Iridium's terrestrial gateway.  

The call originated from a prototype satellite terminal previously announced as the Iridium Certus Broadband Core Module (BCX), then processed through an Iridium NEXT satellite undergoing testing for first launch that was updated with Iridium Certus software, and then terminated through the Iridium Certus gateway subsystem connecting to the public network.  The broadband call demonstrated highly anticipated enhanced voice and broadband capabilities of the new Iridium Certus service.  The service will introduce an initial data speed of 352kb/s and a new, high quality voice codec which will operate at 2X the current bit rate of Iridium's current generation offerings. Iridium Certus's uniquely scalable architecture will enable data speeds eventually as high as 1.4 megabits per second for a single user terminal after Iridium NEXT deployment is completed.....

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