Iridium Eyes Global Maritime Distress Safety System Certification in 2018

Iridium Communications expects to complete in 2018 the certification process to become an authorized Global Maritime Distress Safety System mobile satellite services provider with plans to begin service delivery in 2020.

Iridium said Tuesday the International Maritime Organization cleared amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea Treaty and updated the performance standards for GMDSS tools in June in an effort to increase the number of GMDSS service providers.

“The IMO and the maritime community recognize that GMDSS needs to modernize, and additional service providers is one part of that,” said Brian Pemberton, vice president and general manager of strategic planning at Iridium.

“Competition is key to ensuring that mariners are provided best-in-class communications for safety purposes, which is a must out at sea.”

The company’s GMDSS service offerings seek to complement its Iridium Certus communications platform that works to provide broadband communications support to vessels through a single terminal.