Iridium Communications Inc. reportedly awarded a contract to Integral Systems, Inc.'s subsidiary, RT Logic for the development of a software-defined modem for the new feeder link terminals to be deployed at Iridium (News - Alert) ground stations.

 

'The new modem will be a critical component in our ground network modernization program, which will be based on a state-of-the-art teleport network architecture,' said John Roddy (News - Alert), executive vice president of ground operations and product development, Iridium, in a statement.

 

Roddy selected RT Logic (News - Alert) to supply this critical component because of its extensive technical expertise as a supplier of commercial off-the-shelf SDMs for low-earth orbiting satellite applications. He said that the new teleport network architecture with FLTs at multiple locations will strengthen Iridium's network reliability even further beyond today's high levels, provide new layers of built-in redundancy for our existing satellite constellation, and be an integral part of the teleport network architecture that will be the backbone of Iridium NEXT, the next-generation satellite network.

 

Iridium officials said that under the development contract, RT Logic will supply two prototype modems for on-orbit test and verification. Iridium expects to complete the development and certification effort by the end of 2010.

 

Iridium Communications Inc. is the only mobile satellite service company offering coverage over the entire globe.

 

Recently, Iridium Communications Inc. had announced the activation of the 1,000th Iridium OpenPort marine satellite terminal aboard the Euronav tanker MV Fraternity.

Iridium’s service provider AND Group plc installed and commissioned the Iridium OpenPort unit, which utilizes AND’s IPSignature communication management software for voice and data calls.

 

Fraternity is a new double-hull Belgium-flagged 159,000 deadweight ton tanker just delivered to Euronav from the Samsung (News - Alert) Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea. It is the 13th Euronav vessel to be fitted with Iridium OpenPort, and the company is currently installing the Iridium satcom terminals on 20 more ships.