Iridium Certus—the next-generation satellite platform powered by the new Iridium Next satellite constellation—is ready to launch. It promises to provide faster airborne connection speeds, higher throughputs, more reliability and global coverage. Upon completion in 2018, the Next constellation will offer speeds reaching 1.4 Mbps through what Iridium calls “some of the smallest and most cost-effective antennas in the industry.”
Certus will offer a turnkey path to the 30,000 business aircraft currently using Iridium service. The Next satellites are currently replacing the company's constellation of low-earth-orbit satellites, launching 10 at time via a series of seven launches with SpaceX through 2018.
The Iridium Certus portfolio will feature a range of data speeds, using either high-gain antennas—at 352 or 704 Kbps or 1.4 Mbps—or low-gain antennas for speeds of 88 Kbps or 176 Kbps. “The business aviation community is challenged to find cost-effective connectivity,” said Brian Pemberton, Iridium vice president of aviation business. “Iridium Certus will provide a suite of scalable solutions that meets their diverse needs. Aircraft operators can choose what makes the most sense for them in the most competitive manner possible.”
