Communications Coverage News

Intellian Technologies and SES have unveiled two new user terminals approved for O3b mPOWER, the mP130 for fixed enterprise and the X130D PM for government vessels.This follows on from the multi-year agreement that was signed in October 2021, for Intellian to supply user terminals for SES's O3b mPOWER communications system. These user terminals are the first to be unveiled from the portfolio Intellian is developing, ranging from 85cm to 2.4m.According to Intellian, the mP130 and X130D PM have been engineered in close collaboration with SES and optimized for O3b mPOWER usage…

Ship tracking and maritime information service MarineTraffic has extended its contract through the end of 2023 for ORBCOMM’s satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS) data.MarineTraffic, which has been an ORBCOMM partner since 2013, uses ORBCOMM’s satellite AIS data to track real-time and historical movements of ships as well as their arrivals and departures in harbors and ports around the world. MarineTraffic combines ORBCOMM’s AIS data with positional data from its network of land-based receiving stations to provide actionable maritime intelligence solutions and improve the maritime ecosystem. In addition, MarineTraffic will explore ORBCOMM’s other monitoring solutions as part of efforts to expand its offering.Greg Flessate…

Iridium Communications has announced the successful third launch and deployment of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites. The satellites were delivered into low-Earth orbit approximately one hour after a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 5:37 a.m. PDT. With two successful launches having already been completed this year, this third batch of 10 satellites brings the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit to 30, nearly half the amount required for a full Iridium NEXT operational constellation.

Iridium Communications announced the successful launch of its first ten Iridium NEXT satellites. The satellites were delivered into low-Earth orbit approximately one hour after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:54:39 a.m. PST. Iridium NEXT is the company’s next-generation satellite constellation, replacing and enhancing its existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites spanning the entire globe – the largest commercial satellite constellation in space.

The Navy's third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite was launched today at 8:04 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41. This communications satellite will significantly improve capability for Navy and Department of Defense tactical operators. Over the next several days, the satellite will transition to its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above Earth. Its solar arrays and mesh antennas will then be deployed and on-orbit testing will begin for eventual commissioning into service. Upon acceptance for operational use, MUOS 3 along with MUOS 1 and 2 already on-orbit, will provide communications coverage to more than three-quarters of the globe.

The Coast Guard formally accepted and introduced its new Rescue 21 advanced communications system at a ceremony aboard Coast Guard Sector Charleston Monday, June 14. This new capability increases the Coast Guard’s ability to execute all its missions, especially its search and rescue mission, with greater agility and efficiency. “Rescue 21’s direction-finding capabilities provide lines of bearing to the source of the transmission and enable watchstanders to more accurately direct response assets to the distressed mariner,” said Michael Tangora, Coast Guard Deputy Assistant Commandant for Acquisition. Tangora cited two recent search-and-rescue missions which were successful because of Rescue 21’s advanced capabilities.

The U.S. Coast Guard formally accepted and introduced its new Response Boat-Medium and Rescue 21 advanced communications system during a ceremony held Monday at Coast Guard Sector Key West, here. The Response Boat - Medium is a new small-boat platform that offers increased speed and maneuverability over the service's aging 41-foot response boats, which it will eventually replace.·Enhanced maritime capabilities and technological advances such as water-jet propulsion, armrest integrated steering and trim controls, self-righting capability and improved crew accommodations all represent significant upgrades over the legacy 41-foot response boat platform.·· The first two Response Boats - Medium were delivered to Coast Guard Stations Little Creek…

Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway, today announced that it has signed a three-year communication agreement with Neste Oil Corporation of Helsinki, Finland for maritime broadband services. Under the terms of the contract, Telenor will provide Sealink Ku-Band services onboard 11 tankers with all vessels scheduled to have Sealink service by August of this year. Sealink's Ku-Band service provides Neste Shipping with high-speed data communications coverage throughout Western Europe. Offering maritime broadband communications at speeds of up to 2 megabits per second, Telenor's Sealink service enables efficient and cost-effective 'at sea' communications for ship operations including Internet access, video conferencing, e-mails, faxes, and telephone calling.

COMSAT Mobile Communications' (CMC) Santa Paula, California, earth station is celebrating 25 years of continuous, around-the-clock operations, providing the critical communications link for customers on land, at sea, and in the air. CMC's west coast facility provides Inmarsat satellite communications coverage from western North America, across the Pacific Ocean and into Asia, the Pacific Rim nations, New Zealand, Australia, and the eastern Indian Ocean. The Santa Paula station has served as a principal communications lifeline providing instant communications to ships at sea, aircraft, and to people located in parts of the world where there is no communications infrastructure. For a quarter century, Santa Paula has often provided their sole means of contact with the rest of the world.