Iridium Set to Boost Adoption of Satellite IoT Solutions with Amazon Web Services

Iridium Communications recently announced that it has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN) and has been collaborating with AWS on the development of Iridium CloudConnect, a satellite cloud-based solution designed to offer global coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Planned for launch in 2019, this new Iridium service will make Iridium IoT services available with AWS IoT, extending the reach of AWS’s suite of services to the more than 80 percent of the Earth that lacks cellular coverage. Iridium customers will be able to take advantage of AWS IoT, while existing AWS customers will have a cost-effective way to expand their geographic IoT footprint to anywhere on the globe.

Reportedly in a first for the satellite industry, AWS IoT will create a simplified process for companies to integrate Iridium’s satellite reach with AWS, increasing speed to market. Through this arrangement, customers should be able to reduce engineering efforts, lower fixed operating costs, and reduce time to develop new products and services, through AWS IoT, the release said.

As a result of this arrangement, each existing Iridium partner will be able to adopt AWS services due to the automated translation of the Iridium network’s proprietary protocols and industry standard IoT protocols supported by AWS IoT, to and from the appropriate devices and databases.

“Iridium CloudConnect will completely change the speed at which a satellite IoT solution can be deployed and will allow existing AWS customers to keep everything the same on the back end, while opening up the opportunity to quickly expand their coverage,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “This is a major disruption for satellite IoT. Costs will drop, time to market will speed up, risk will be reduced, and AWS IoT customers that choose Iridium CloudConnect can now enjoy true global connectivity for their solutions.”

Iridium is currently in the homestretch of its ambitious $3 billion initiative to replace its entire original satellite constellation with new satellites, known as Iridium NEXT. To date, seven launches have taken place with launch provider SpaceX, delivering 65 new satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with the final launch of 10 satellites planned for later in 2018. Upon completion, a total of 75 Iridium NEXT satellites will have been delivered to space, with 66 in the active constellation and nine serving as on-orbit spares.