Icom – Operation Arctic Lynx Partner Spotlight

Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL) is a partnership-driven field demonstration of Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technology over a two-plus week period, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Iridium is the only satellite communications network that provides reliable, truly global coverage, including the polar regions.

Learn more about Iridium partner Icom’s participation: 

1. Tell our readers a bit about Icom and your relationship with Iridium and what attracted you to participate in Operation Arctic Lynx?

Icom Inc.’s roots are in designing, engineering, and manufacturing highly advanced, compact solid-state radio equipment for use in the amateur (ham) radio industry. The company’s product line has since expanded to include communications equipment and products based in the marine, avionics, land mobile and wide-band receiver industries. Icom’s IC-SAT100 operates exclusively on Iridium Push-To-Talk services and is compatible with the full portfolio of Iridium and Iridium Connected PTT products for seamless, global push-to-talk capabilities. Our team was invited to participate in OAL by Iridium, and it seemed like a great opportunity to further our relationship with Iridium and Iridium customers and support Iridium on this expedition. 

2. Can you tell us more about the products you are demonstrating on this expedition and what they’re typically used for? 

Both the IC-SAT100 and the IC-SAT100M are being demonstrated during OAL. Icom’s IC-SAT100 allows users around the world to communicate with a group of PTT radios at the push of a button. To do this, the IC-SAT100 utilizes Iridium satellite network covering the earth including both poles providing wide area global communication anywhere on the planet. Icom’s IC-SAT100M is a PTT satellite radio designed for fixed mount operations. Unlike handheld satellite radios, users with the IC-SAT100M do not need to stay outside for a clear view of the sky for a stable communication connection. This global satellite mobile radio’s design easily provides coverage from vehicle to in-building use. The IC-SAT100M is backed by the Iridium satellite network, covering the earth including both poles for a true wide area global communication solution. Using the global PTT on the SAT100/SAT100M with MIL and CIV TAK allows us to see the radios deployed as well as talk to each other.

The military grade and IP67 waterproof IC-SAT100 provides reliable connectivity anywhere on the planet, operating exclusively on Iridium Push-To-Talk services

3. Can you explain a bit about how your technology works and what communications threads you have been most eager to experience? 

The SAT100 and SAT100M allow you to talk, text, and show Position Location Information (PLI) to any location world-wide.  Every time a user PTTs the radio it will provide a user PLI on the same talk group on a mapping software. The user can control the ARO of the radio being used through the Iridium software provided at the time of purchase. 

4. What would you like readers to know about OAL and your product specifically? Are there any features or unique capabilities that standout in the Arctic environment? 

We’ll reiterate that the truly global connectivity enabled by the Iridium network is a huge stand out. When talking to customers, it’s apparent that other competitors’ radios will not do this. During the OAL demonstrations, the radios performed flawlessly in all locations.

5. Do you have any additional thoughts to share?

We know we keep thanking the folks at Iridium for putting this together, but everyone involved did an amazing job, and we can’t thank you all enough for having us along and using Icom.

To learn more about Icom, visit: www.icomamerica.com/en/ 

4K Solutions® – Operation Arctic Lynx Partner Spotlight

4K Solutions®: Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL) is a partnership-driven field demonstration of Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technology over a two-plus week period, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Iridium is the only satellite communications network that provides reliable, truly global coverage, including the polar regions.

1. Tell our readers a bit about 4K Solutions and your relationship with Iridium.

4K Solutions® is in the rapidly deployable, expeditionary communications business. Our customers’ offices can be anywhere on the planet and need network connectivity. Giving a customer internet services in places such as downtown Houston is a “lay up,” but folks call us because they are in a jam and need a hand solving the “how can we do that” in areas outside of terrestrial coverage. Iridium’s completely global satellite coverage, especially in the Arctic regions, is especially beneficial and allows users to leverage our Global Satellite Communications Kit (GSCK™) that anyone can operate anywhere!  

2. Can you tell us more about the products you are demonstrating on this expedition and what they’re typically used for?

The GSCK™ is an expertly designed lightweight, hand-carried, battery-powered solution that leverages the MissionLINK™ terminal by Thales powered by Iridium Certus®. This communications kit allows our customers to easily utilize the Thales MissionLINK terminals no matter where they’re deployed. The OAL team has been demonstrating the utility of the GSCK™ out on the ice, driving on-the-move and if necessary, on vessels. 

The Global Satellite Communications Kit—GSCK™ by Iridium partner 4K Solutions

3. Can you explain a bit about how your technology works and what communications threads you have been most eager to experience?

4K Solutions® are experts in “kitting” Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) technologies. As such, we were able to integrate the Thales MissionLINK with Iridium Certus global connectivity in the same manner as we have done for thousands of our 4G/LTE Mobile Broadband Kits – MBK™. The GSCK™ is an easy, dependable and rapidly deployable satellite communications package that is ideal for research activities ranging from the Arctic ice to tsunami disaster sites.

4. What would you like readers to know about OAL and your product specifically? Are there any features or unique capabilities that standout in the Arctic Environment?

“SHOW ME!” We live by this creed at 4K Solutions. Our customer demo’s are 99% live! Customers want to see the solution do what we say it will. OAL is giving real-world street cred to potential and existing customers detailing how robust the Iridium satellite network is, where and how it works, and what products and solutions can work in those austere locations. The GSCK™ has done that – if can work extremely well in the Arctic circle, it can work anywhere!

5. Do you have any additional thoughts to share?

4K Solutions truly appreciates Jay Chapman and the rest of the Iridium, COMSAT, Thales, and Satcom Direct teams for all being great partners and allowing us to be a part of this! 

To learn more about 4K solutions, visit: www.4ksolutions.com

MetOcean – Operation Arctic Lynx Partner Spotlight

Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL) is a partnership-driven field demonstration of Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technology over a two-plus week period, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Iridium is the only satellite communications network that provides reliable, truly global coverage, including the polar regions.

Learn more about Iridium partner MetOcean’s OAL participation:

1. What attracted MetOcean to participate in Operation Arctic Lynx? 

As the Arctic opens up longer and longer each year, clear, reliable communications from the far north are going to become essential.  This was an excellent chance to find clients using Iridium Certus® and other Iridium Connected® devices who can help us demonstrate what we can do. 

2. Can you tell us more about the products you are demonstrating on this expedition and what they’re typically used for?

We are demonstrating Thales MissionLINK™ and VesseLINK™ products. They are used for backup and secondary IP devices and backup voice communication devices, including as far north as Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, the most northern continuously inhabited place in the world. The VesseLINK devices onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessels are also used for primary communications in the CCG’s Crew Moral Programs. 

3. Can you explain a bit about how your technology works and what communications threads you have been most eager to experience?

Thales terminals powered by Iridium Certus can be used for Voice or IP from extremely remote locations, and for OAL they are being used for both. We are most interested in seeing how well the IP connections perform from such high latitudes, as well as showing the quality and ease of use of the Voice lines provided by both products.

HD 1080p real-time video sessions and voice calls were sent between Point Barrow (71 degrees N Lat), CFS Alert (82 degrees N Lat)

4. What would you like readers to know about OAL and your product specifically? Are there any features or unique capabilities that standout in the Arctic environment?

The Arctic is an area with increasing interest globally but does not have reliable terrestrial connectivity. Satellite communications is critical when things happen, and video is essential in many situations, like surveillance, telemedicine, search and rescue and much more. Lives can be saved by better visual situational awareness.

5. Do you have any additional thoughts to share?

I believe that emphasis should be placed on the ease of use. The Thales MissionLINK and VesseLINK terminals have no complicated gimbaled antenna to set up, no moving parts to break in the extreme cold or from ice buildup. Once set up, the terminals are simple to use. And the fact that the Iridium® network enables them to work just as well at 80 degrees latitude as they will at the equator or in the middle of the USA or Canada is a major advantage to all users.  

To learn more about MetOcean, visit: www.metocean.com 

AnsuR – Operation Arctic Lynx Partner Spotlight

AnsuR: Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL) is a partnership-driven field demonstration of Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technology over a two-plus week period, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Iridium is the only satellite communications network that provides reliable, truly global coverage, including the polar regions.

Learn more about AnsuR’s OAL participation:

1. Tell us more about AnsuR and what attracted you to participate in Operation Arctic Lynx.

AnsuR researches, designs and sells innovative software solutions which optimize bandwidth use when communicating photo and video. Participating in Operation Arctic Lynx was an amazing opportunity for us, especially since we are getting so much positive feedback on the usefulness of our solution. As a Norwegian company, Arctic solutions are quite relevant for us too.  

2. Can you tell us more about the products you are demonstrating on this expedition and what they’re typically used for?

Our products allow users to communicate important visual data, photos and video (both clips and live streaming) with very low bandwidth – up to 99% less than some other methods. They are typically used for sending mission-critical photos and video via lower-bandwidth satellite communication networks, like Iridium®, and also work well with higher bandwidth.

Video footage sent over the Iridium Certus enabling comms on the move; video footage using the AnsuR ASMIRA application.

3. Can you explain a bit about how your technology works and what communications threads you have been most eager to experience?

Our technology is built around a slightly different idea than what is normally used – we let users focus the bandwidth on the content that is most relevant and interesting for the mission. This can be done via interactive communication, letting users pull what is most needed in the resolution required for photos and video clips. For video streaming, we have optimized the compression for the highest possible quality with minimum bitrate and developed proprietary streaming protocols that minimize overhead. This seems to result in better video quality with less need for capacity than other solutions and has been called a game changer.

4. What would you like readers to know about OAL and your product specifically? Are there any features or unique capabilities that standout in the Arctic environment?

The Arctic is an area with increasing interest globally but does not have reliable terrestrial connectivity. Satellite communications is critical when things happen, and video is essential in many situations, like surveillance, telemedicine, search and rescue and much more. Lives can be saved by better visual situational awareness.

5. Do you have any additional thoughts to share?

In this exercise we are demonstrating new capabilities, which is a good feeling. The full potential will be realized when the capabilities are put to test in live operations. This exercise has opened the door for us to amazing opportunities with Iridium and our partners, and I am hopeful we can leverage all of this potential. 

To learn more about AnsuR, visit: www.ansur.no 

McQ Solutions – Operation Arctic Lynx Partner Spotlight

Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL) is a partnership-driven field demonstration of Iridium® and Iridium Connected® technology over a two-plus week period, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude. Iridium is the only satellite communications network that provides reliable, truly global coverage, including the polar regions.

Learn more about Iridium partner McQ’s OAL participation: 

1. Tell our readers a bit about McQ and your relationship with Iridium.

McQ has been working with Iridium for over 20 years as a reliable communication means of getting our sensor information back to operators around the world. McQ sensors are used in very remote areas for security of assets, borders and perimeters that tend to have security concerns for Military and Commercial Operations like Oil & Gas, Maritime, and Construction sites. With the upgraded Iridium constellation, McQ has taken advantage of the satellites’ bilateral communications and are using the Iridium Certus™ 9770 transceiver for McQ CONNECT™, the Iridium 9603 transceiver for McQ RANGER®sat and the Iridium Core 9523 for McQ OWL®sat.

2. Can you tell us more about the products you are demonstrating on this expedition and what they’re typically used for? 

McQ RANGER® sat detects people and vehicles, tracks targets and triggers McQ OWL™ sat for imagery of the target of interest. This unattended ground sensor can be hand emplaced or airdropped into critical areas of concern. McQ OWL™sat detects, classifies and tracks people and vehicles with a micro-doppler internal radar and quickly turns on an internal camera to provide video of the target. McQ CONNECT™ provides connectivity to include voice, video, data with 22 kbps uplink and 88 kbps downlink. High quality video is sent over McQ CONNECT™ with McQ vWatch® video compression management software; compresses video at least 10 to 1 to provide high quality video.

Photo: The McQ RANGER™ in Point Barrow, AK, the northern most point in the U.S.

3. Can you explain a bit about how your technology works and what communications threads you have been most eager to experience? 

McQ strives to compress the data and video to be able to send over the Iridium constellation for security requirements anywhere in the world with reliable and secure two-way communications.  

4. What would you like readers to know about OAL and your product specifically? Are there any features or unique capabilities that standout in the Arctic environment? 

McQ sensor systems are built to withstand the temperature extremes ranging from hot, cold and wet conditions. We strive to provide very rugged equipment to meet security requirements necessary to protect assets with bilateral communications with command and control from anywhere in the world.

To learn more about McQ, visit: www.mcqinc.com