Iridium Expands Capabilities with Satelles Acquisition

Iridium Communications has announced its strategic acquisition of Satelles, Inc., a prominent provider of secure satellite-based time and location services that enhance and safeguard GPS and other GNSS-dependent systems.

Introducing Satellite Time and Location (STL)

The newly branded Satellite Time and Location (STL) service offers a user-pleasant and highly secure solution that boosts the efficiency and reliability of timing systems essential for digital infrastructures, including 5G networks, data centers, and other vital systems. This service also mitigates GNSS vulnerabilities thru affordable hardware that eliminates the need for outdoor antennas.

Shifting Market Demands

The demand for reliable Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services is shifting towards compact, integrated devices, moving away from the traditional server rack-sized solutions that require outdoor GPS antennas.Accurate time synchronization and location data are crucial for the global economy, especially in commercial sectors that depend on critical infrastructure.

Impact on Data Centers

Industries worldwide rely on approximately 10,000 data centers and their vast networks of data processing and storage servers. Each server necessitates precise time synchronization, which can be significantly enhanced by the in-server room efficiency and resilience provided by Iridium’s STL service.

Facilitating Broader Adoption

Iridium aims to lower the barriers of size and cost associated with STL, making it easier to deploy and integrate with autonomous systems, including UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles), and USVs (uncrewed surface vessels).

Strengthening Partnerships

This acquisition also presents an opportunity for Iridium’s existing partners to expand their offerings and fortify their GNSS-dependent products and infrastructure.

Global Reach and resilience

The STL service leverages the robust broadcast paging channels of the Iridium satellite network to provide accurate timing details. This results in globally secure time and location signals that are 1,000 times more powerful than those from GNSS constellations.The service is resilient against regional GNSS outages and is already being utilized to secure digital infrastructures for both government entities and major corporations.

Leadership Insights

Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, stated: “This market is expanding; it’s an ideal application of our network, and this solution addresses critical industry challenges more effectively than any other. Acquiring Satelles aligns perfectly with our strategy to leverage our unique network capabilities to outperform competitors. STL represents the best solution available today, and we have been closely monitoring and investing in Satelles’s technology to unlock further opportunities. We are thrilled to officially welcome the Satelles team into the Iridium family.”

Future Prospects

STL will emerge as a new business division within Iridium, under the leadership of Satelles CEO, Dr.Michael O’Connor. “Integrating STL into the Iridium family will significantly enhance our capabilities, benefiting our customers and society at large. I am excited about the promising future ahead of us,” O’Connor remarked.