‘Tis the season to start holiday shopping! And what better gift is there than the gift of easy, global and reliable communication? Weâre serious â giving the gift of satellite connectivity is the perfect way to make sure you can always communicate with loved ones, no matter where they go (we are slightly biased).
Have a gadget-lover in the family? Look no further.
Want to make sure your adrenaline-junkie friends always have access to connectivity while off-the-grid? Weâve got you covered.
Know someone whoâs prepping for the zombie apocalypse? We got you.
Tired of dropped calls and missed texts when out of cell coverage? Keep reading.
To provide some extra inspiration, weâve paired gift ideas with the special people and personalities in our lives (weâve all got them). Happy shopping!
IridiumÂŽ Devices
For THAT person in your life who must be able to reach you no matter whatâŚ.
We all know this person. You look at your phone and you have a missed call, an unread text, another missed call, an email, etc. You assume there is an emergency, but they just wanted to check in. To thank them for their âpersistence,â the Iridium GO! is the âGO! toâ gift. This small device can turn any smartphone into a satellite phone, giving them the ability to call and text as much as they want from anywhere on the planet.
For the no frills, no bells and whistles personâŚ.
Have someone in your life who values simplicity? They just want their stuff to work when it needs to without any extras or fuss. Then consider gifting them the Iridium 9555 satellite phone. Simple and to the point, this handset enables voice calls and texts from anywhere on the planet. Itâs rugged, reliable and gets the job done. Itâs perfect to have on hand in the event of an emergency, such as a natural disaster, or to pack with you if you are venturing out of cell service.
You know who weâre talking about. You wake up on a Saturday morning to see pictures of this friend who already ran a half marathon and is off to the airport for their camping trip in Patagonia, all before youâve even had a sip of coffee. For this person, the Iridium Extreme satellite phone is the perfect present. Just like the Iridium 9555, it enables voice and data calls from the entire globe, but also includes emergency response features like an SOS button in case things get scary during their over-the-top adventure. Itâs rugged, water resistant, light weight and comes with a full accessory kit making it easy to use and carry.
For the âgrown upâ who still wants to play with walkie-talkiesâŚ
Remember walkie-talkies from childhood? Consider the Iridium Extreme PTT a walkie talkie on steroids. Perfect to have handy for instant group communications during activities such as hunting, camping, or hiking, you can keep that group text alive or extend your game of capture the flag to include friends worldwide, at the push of a button. The handset also has an SOS button in case of emergencies, full military-grade durability, and comes with a complete accessory kit.
Iridium ConnectedÂŽ Personal Communications Devices
For the âdirectionally challengedâ people in your lifeâŚ
Even with all the GPS and map-related applications at our fingertips, some people still need some extra help getting from point A to point B. For these people, Iridiumâs partners have a suite of personal communications devices that make great gifts. They are small, easy to use and come with a variety of critical safety features, to help keep people safe (and even keep track) of those who canât ever have enough directions.
With SOS buttons, the ability to track and share location details, send and receive texts, receive weather alerts, and more, the following Iridium Connected products will help keep your loved ones connected and safe no matter how lost they get.
Though we hope theyâre not indecisiveâŚthere are options. Yes, âdirectionally challengedâ yet decisive people. What could go wrong?
Iridium is the official safety and communications partner for the Rebelle Rally, the first womenâs off-road navigation rally raid in the United States. Over the 10-day event in the remote California and Nevada desert, participants compete through hidden checkpoints, distance, and time, navigating through it all with only maps, a compass, and a road book. Although cell phones and GPS are prohibited, connectivity for emergencies and staff logistics remains essential. Learn more about the critical role Iridium partner Roadpost plays in supporting the Rebelle Rally in this Q&A:
This is the second straight year Roadpost has joined with Iridium in supporting the Rebelle Rally. What is it about the event that gets you excited?
The combination of pushing the limits off the grid paired with the critical role connectivity plays in ensuring the safety of the individuals competing aligns perfectly with our mission of keeping people safe and in touch wherever work or play takes them. For over 30 years, our clients have trusted us to provide access to reliable voice and data solutions when venturing beyond cellular coverage or where traditional networks are unreliable or unavailable. Weâre excited to provide competitors in the rally with peace of mind knowing that they have access to reliable connectivity that is designed to perform under the tough conditions theyâll experience throughout the event.
The Rebelle Rally is the first all-women off-road navigation rally raid held in the United States, and it has a mission to ââŚelevate women across the globe and at home, and to make a positive impact in our communities.â What about the eventâs mission resonates most with Roadpost?
At Roadpost, our purpose is to provide people with reliable voice and data connectivity when and where they need it. Supporting Rebelle Rallyâs mission to elevate women by offering them reliable communication and a greater sense of personal security so they can bring their best game throughout the competition brings this purpose to life.
The Rebelle Rally runs across 2,500 kilometers of Nevada and California desert terrain. With no GPS, cell phones or anything but a map, compass, and roadbook, the IridiumÂŽ 9555 phones supplied by Roadpost are critical safety devices for the participants â what made you choose that model to support this race?
The Iridium 9555 is lightweight, easy to use, designed to perform in harsh environments and offers voice coverage everywhere. All of these features make the Iridium 9555 a perfect companion device for the women whoâd be competing under challenging conditions across a vast remote terrain.
The Iridium 9555 is easy to use right out of the box. What was the learning curve like for participants who may be using a satellite phone for the first time ever?
Because the Iridium 9555 provides a very similar user experience to other phones, there should be a very slight learning curve, if any. However, there are two things to keep in mind. First, because satellite phones require a direct line of sight to the sky to connect to the Iridium satellite network, users should be aware of their surroundings and make calls from areas that are as clear and open as possible. Second, the phone requires a specific dialing pattern to make outbound calls, the user must dial the ‘+’ symbol (by pressing and holding the zero key) at the beginning of any number they dial. For example, the phone number they are calling should show as +15551231234 (versus 555-123-1234).
Would anyone from the Roadpost team want to compete in the race in the future?
There are probably a couple of ladies on our team who’d consider it but, for now, we’ll stick to supporting these incredible competitors!
Do you have anything else youâd like to share with our readers?
We’re thrilled to be partnered with Iridium in supporting the adventurous women competing in the Rebelle Rally!
In December 2020, Iridium’s Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) formally launched, extending critical safety services for mariners to all the worldâs oceans for the first time. Prior to launch, Iridium GMDSS was tested by the Malik Arctica, which sails in some of the roughest Arctic and Antarctic waters. Having sailed through latitudes between 77°48â N and 70°35â S, the vessel reported successful service at both latitudinal extremes and everywhere in between. Following the successful trial, the Malik Arctica formally adopted Iridium GMDSS as its primary GMDSS solution.
Sail through these incredible images of the Malik Arctica to learn more about the shipâs missions, and how Iridium GMDSS supports the crewâs safety and connectivity.
January 10, 2019 – Malik Arctica – Prins Christian Sund:
At the core of the Iridium GMDSS service is a robust network of 66 cross-linked Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites that provide low latency, high-quality, and real-time voice and data connections over the planetâs entire surface, including across oceans and polar regions. The combination of the network architecture and L-band spectrum, which delivers proven connectivity even in harsh sea states and weather, make Iridium GMDSS the ideal choice for critical safety communications, and even offers a degree of coverage when terrain, such as narrow fjords, blocks a large portion of the sky.
July 16, 2019 – Malik Arctica – Siorapaluk – 1:
The small village of Siorapaluk in northwest Greenland, is the northern most permanent civilian settlement on the planet. Located at 77°48âN 070°35âW, it lies well inside GMDSS Area 4, where the alternative GMDSS satellite network is not reliable. Since Iridiumâs network covers the entire planet, it is bringing GMDSS services to the A4 areas for the first time in history.
âHaving such a high-quality connection in both the high Arctic and Antarctic, outside the coverage of most other satellite-based communication systems, certainly any that are GMDSS approved, is a real step forward for maritime safety.â – Christian Harboe-Hansen, Malik Arctica Mariner (responsible for the daily inspection and testing of the vesselâs GMDSS communication equipment shared)
July 16, 2019 – Malik Arctica – Siorapaluk – 2:
The Malik Arctica brings supplies to Siorapaluk twice each year, in July and September. The vessel brings every kind supply needed by the community, apart from fuel which is brought by an ice strengthened tanker. Landing craft and various machinery is brought along to bring the supplies ashore, since there is no port and no heavy machinery in the settlement.
(Fun Fact: Hitachi is an Iridium partner and utilizes Iridium connectivity to provide reliable and accurate remote asset monitoring and more.)
August 14, 2019 – Malik Arctica – Danmarkshavn:
Danmarkshavn, located at 76°31âN 018°41âW is a weather and research station in northeast Greenland. The station is comprised of several modern buildings but a couple hundred meters from these lies the first building on the site, âVillaenâ (The Villa in Danish), which was erected in 1906 by the Danish research and exploration expedition Danmark Ekspeditionen.
The building is under the jurisdiction of the National Museum of Greenland and has recently been restored. Although admittance is free and it is never closed, it is probably one of the least visited museums in the world. Reaching Danmarkshavn, which receives supplies only once every other year, requires navigating along the northeast coast of Greenland, notorious for its rapidly changing ice conditions, well outside the coverage of most geostationary communication satellites. Iridium is one of the few reliable options for communication in this vast, practically uninhabited area.
âAside from the GMDSS aspect, especially on voyages to Antarctica, Iridium connectivity offers the crew a reliable means to communicate with family and friends while the vessels primary installation for daily communication is left without satellite coverage.â – Aase, a Malik Arctica Able Seaman (AB)
September 30, 2019 – Malik Arctica â Ittoqqortoormiit – 1:
At 70°30âN 021°56âW, the village of Ittoqqortoormiit is the northern most civilian settlement on the east coast of Greenland. Supplies are shipped in twice a year, in early August and late September to early October. The village lies near the mouth of the worldâs largest fjord system, Scoresby Sund. In the last 20 years, this region has seen the arrival of cruise ships of various sizes as well as private recreational vessels. Its location and the terrain within the steep sided fjords, means that few, if any, commercial satellite communication systems other than Iridium are able provide reliable coverage.
August 13, 2020 – Malik Arctica â Ittoqqortoormiit – 2:
Many inhabitants of the village of Ittoqqortoormiit are dependent on subsistence hunting and fishing for a significant portion of their nutrition. However, situated inside GMDSS Area 4 with no coastal radio station in reach, there has been effectively no GMDSS coverage. This situation applies equally to the tourist and recreational vessels that visit the region during the summer. With Iridium GMDSS in Sea Area 4, this region will finally get genuine GMDSS safety communication coverage.
âWe are proud that the Malik Arctica crewâs Iridium GMDSS trial proved successful, and they have fully adopted the service. Since the Iridium GMDSS launch, we have seen vessels all around the world switching to the service, and now sailing with confidence knowing their safety service works in all the worldâs oceans.â – Kyle Hurst, Director of Maritime Safety and Security Services at Iridium
August 13, 2020 – Malik Arctica – Scoresby Sund:
Ice conditions along the coast of Northeast Greenland and its fjords can vary greatly from year to year and are highly changeable within the navigable season from mid-July to early October. Access to current visual and radar satellite imagery is crucial to ensure safe and efficient operations under these conditions. Most other satellite communication systems are unable to offer reliable connections at these latitudes and within the fjords surrounded by mountainous terrain. Since Iridium offers completely global coverage, it enables connectivity in these areas.
January 2, 2021 – Malik Arctica – 5 East Antarctica – Troll:
The vessel Malik Arctica frequents polar waters on both hemispheres. Seen here in Antarctica along the ice shelf, at the aptly named location â5 Eastâ situated at 70°35âS 005°17âE, it is bringing the annual load of supplies to the Norwegian station and airfield, Troll. In this area, the ship was formerly reliant on HF radio, which provides very little to no security in this remote location. Iridium is now filling those gaps and providing the vessel with reliable connectivity.
February 4, 2021 – Malik Arctica – LT-3100S Trial:
Having passed through all latitudes between 77°48âN and 70°35âS, the vessel Malik Arctica has carried an LT-3100S trial unit and successfully tested it at both latitudinal extremes. The possibility for the vesselâs crew to be able to have a reliable communication channel, for both phone calls, text messaging and data, no matter how far north or south or otherwise remote and isolated the location of the vessel, holds just as great a value for daily well-being as reliable GMDSS communication does in an emergency.
