Iridium authorized to provide GMDSS service

Jan 28, 2020 by Triton Staff

Iridium is now the second mobile satellite system to be officially approved as a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) service provider. The International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) presented a Letter of Compliance to the company at Iridium headquarters in McLean, Virginia, on Jan. 13. 

Created by the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), GMDSS – for which IMSO is the regulator – is a safety of life service, connecting ships in distress with Rescue Coordination Centers around the world. 

 “The addition of new providers such as Iridium for GMDSS services can help to create safer seas for all mariners,” said Capt. Moin Ahmed, director general of IMSO, who presented the Letter of Compliance to Iridium CEO Matt Desch.

Capt. Moin Ahmed, director general of IMSO, presents Iridium CEO Matt Desch with formal authorization to provide satellite GMDSS service on Jan. 13 at Iridium headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Photo provided.

It took about seven years for Iridium to achieve this goal, according to a company press release.

Iridium’s authorization to provide GMDSS service includes extending this service to the growing number of ships in the waters of the Arctic and Antarctica, otherwise known as Sea Area A4.  

The new Iridium GMDSS terminals will combine the key three GMDSS services – distress alert, distress voice and Maritime Safety Information – in one global, compact terminal, according to the company. These terminals can provide both normal and emergency communications, including Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), Anti-Piracy/Citadel Communications, and Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT). 

For more information, visit iridium.com.

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