Iridium Communications Inc. is a company known for its worldwide voice and data communication from handheld satellite phones and other transceiver units. The company operates the Iridium satellite constellation, which consists of 66 active satellites used for worldwide voice and data communication from handheld satellite phones and other transceiver units.
The Iridium network is unique because it covers the entire Earth, including poles, oceans, and airways. The satellites are in low Earth orbit at a height of approximately 485 miles (781 kilometers) and are traveling at approximately 17,000 miles per hour (27,000 kilometers per hour).
Iridium offers services such as voice and data communication, which are crucial in remote, isolated regions where other types of communication (like cellular networks) are unavailable. They also provide critical communication lines in emergency and disaster recovery situations.
One of the notable technologies Iridium has developed is the Iridium NEXT, a second-generation worldwide network of telecommunications satellites, featuring enhanced bandwidth. The final Iridium NEXT satellite was launched in 2019.
