Editing Iridium Communications (section)

== Present status ==
Iridium Satellite LLC merged with a [[special-purpose acquisition company]] (GHQ) created by the investment bank [[Greenhill & Co.]] in September 2009 to create Iridium Communications Inc. The public company trades on [[Nasdaq|NASDAQ]] under the symbol "IRDM". The company surpassed one million subscribers in March 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.iridium.com/Mar-30-2018-fifth-successful-iridium-R-next-launch-completed-as-iridium-surpasses-1-million-subscribers|title=Fifth Successful Iridium® NEXT Launch Completed as Iridium Surpasses 1 Million Subscribers}}</ref> Revenue for the full year 2018 was $523.0 million with operational [[EBITDA]] of $302.0 million, a 14% increase from $265.6 million in the prior year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investor.iridium.com/2019-02-28-Iridium-Announces-Record-2018-Results-Company-Issues-2019-Outlook|title=Iridium Announces Record 2018 Results; Company Issues 2019 Outlook}}</ref>

Iridium manages several operations centers, including [[Tempe, Arizona]] and [[Leesburg, Virginia]], United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selligence - Pre-Sales Intelligence to Optimise Your Activity |url=https://www.selligence.com/app/company/iridium-558703 |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=www.selligence.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110064554/https://www.selligence.com/app/company/iridium-558703 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Company |url=https://www.iridium.com/company/ |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=Iridium Satellite Communications |language=en-US}}</ref>

The system is being used by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcn.com/print/17_30/33906-1.html |access-date=June 16, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803081835/http://www.gcn.com/print/17_30/33906-1.html |date=November 9, 1998|title=DISA establishes portal for telecom satellite system| first=Gregory |last=Slabodkin|archive-date=August 3, 2008 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2021|reason=Citation is from 1998}}

Matt Desch is the current CEO of Iridium LLC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.iridium.com/directors.cfm|title=Board of Directors – Iridium Communications Inc.|website=investor.iridium.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113035531/http://investor.iridium.com/directors.cfm|archive-date=2018-01-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Hosted Payload Alliance ===
Iridium is a founding member of the [[Hosted payload|Hosted Payload]] Alliance (HPA), a satellite industry alliance program. Membership in the HPA is open to satellite operators, satellite manufacturers, system integrators, and other interested parties.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hudson|first=Katie|title=Hosted Payload Alliance Announced to Promote Use on Commercial Satellites|url=http://www.hostedpayload.com/index.php?q=blog/hosted-payload-alliance-announced-to-promote-use-on-commercial-satellites|publisher=HostedPayload.com|access-date=15 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320064850/http://www.hostedpayload.com/index.php?q=blog%2Fhosted-payload-alliance-announced-to-promote-use-on-commercial-satellites|archive-date=20 March 2012}}</ref>

=== Air safety communications ===
In July 2011, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) issued a ruling that approves the use of Iridium for [[Future Air Navigation System]] (FANS) data links, enabling satellite data links with air-traffic control for aircraft flying in the FANS environment, including areas not served by [[Inmarsat]] (above or below 70 degrees latitude) which includes polar routes.<ref>{{cite web|title=FAA Authorizes Iridium Satellite Data Service for Oceanic Airspace|url=http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/FAA-Authorizes-Iridium-Satellite-Data-Service-for-Oceanic-Airspace_37080.html|publisher=Satellite Today|access-date=15 September 2011|archive-date=24 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324152310/http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/FAA-Authorizes-Iridium-Satellite-Data-Service-for-Oceanic-Airspace_37080.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Global Maritime Distress and Safety System ===
In January 2020, the [[Iridium satellite constellation|Iridium constellation]] was certified for use in the [[Global Maritime Distress and Safety System]] (GMDSS). The certification ended a [[monopoly]] on the provision of maritime distress services that had previously been held by [[Inmarsat]] since the system became operational in 1999.<ref name="nsf20200124">{{cite news|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/01/iridium-milestone-maritime-safety-breaks-monopoly/|title=Iridium marks major milestone with maritime safety, breaks monopoly|last=Gebhardt|first=Chris|work=NasaSpaceflight.com|date=23 January 2020|access-date=24 January 2020}}</ref>
=== Adoption of standard-based solutions for cellphones ===
{{Anchor|Adoption_of_standard-based_solutions_for_cellphones}}In 2023, [[Qualcomm]] and Iridium announced an agreement that was supposed to bring two-way satellite messaging service to [[Android (operating system)|Android]] smartphones. The service, called Snapdragon Satellite, should have been supported starting with devices that feature [[Qualcomm Snapdragon|Snapdragon]] 8 Gen 2 chipsets, which was expected to be launched in the second half of 2023. The solution for smartphones was supposed to utilize Iridium's [[L Band]] spectrum for downlink and uplink.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-09 |title=A Closer Look at Garmin & Qualcomm's Satellite Chipset Partnership |url=https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/01/qualcomms-garmin-emergency-satellite-partnership.html |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=DC Rainmaker |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Qualcomm announces Snapdragon Satellite for Android, and it's not just for emergencies |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_announces_snapdragon_satellite_twoway_satellite_messaging_for_android-news-57097.php |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=GSMArena.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

On November 9, 2023, Iridium announced that Qualcomm had notified them about the end of their partnership due to a lack of interest in Qualcomm's and Iridium's proprietary solution by smartphone manufacturers. A Qualcomm spokesman stated "Smartphone makers have indicated a preference towards standards-based solutions for satellite-to-phone connectivity. We expect to continue to collaborate with Iridium on standards-based solutions while discontinuing efforts on the proprietary solution that was introduced earlier this year."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=2023-11-10 |title=Qualcomm's satellite SOS for Android feature didn't make it to launch |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/10/23955416/qualcomm-snapdragon-satellite-shut-down-emergency-sos-iridium |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iridium Announces New D2D Direction |url=https://investor.iridium.com/2023-11-09-Iridium-Announces-New-D2D-Direction |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=Iridium Satellite Communications |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheetz |first=Michael |date=2023-11-09 |title=Iridium, Qualcomm end satellite-to-phone partnership |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/09/iridium-announces-end-of-qualcomm-satellite-to-phone-partnership.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>

In 2024, Iridium introduced Project Stardust, a [[3GPP]] standard-based satellite-to-cellphone service focusing on messaging, emergency communications and IoT for devices like cars, smartphones, tablets and related consumer applications. The solution will be supported using a version of the NB-IoT standard for [[5G]] non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Scheduled for launch in 2026, it won't replace the company’s proprietary solution for voice and high-speed data; instead it will co-exist with that offering on the Iridium's existing global low-earth orbit satellite network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iridium Project Stardust Satellite-to-Cellphone Offering Will Support 5G Messaging – Telecompetitor |url=https://www.telecompetitor.com/iridium-project-stardust-satellite-to-cellphone-offering-will-support-5g-messaging/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=www.telecompetitor.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iridium Unveils Project Stardust; Developing the Only Truly Global, Standards-Based IoT and Direct-to-Device Service |url=https://investor.iridium.com/2024-01-10-Iridium-Unveils-Project-Stardust-Developing-the-Only-Truly-Global,-Standards-Based-IoT-and-Direct-to-Device-Service |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=Iridium Satellite Communications |language=en-US}}</ref>