Iridium and Gatehouse Satcom advance standardized Non-Terrestrial Network IoT with Iridium NTN Direct®

MARCH 3, 2025

Aalborg, Denmark – Gatehouse Satcom, a Danish-based satellite software company renowned for its innovative, mission-critical satellite communications software, today announced it was chosen by Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice and data satellite communications, to help deploy its Iridium NTN Direct® service Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure. Iridium NTN Direct will be the first 3GPP standards-based satellite direct-to-device (D2D) and narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) service delivering truly global coverage. As the satellite industry moves toward standardized NTN IoT solutions, this collaboration positions Iridium and Gatehouse Satcom at the forefront of the shift.

Gatehouse Satcom has been chosen to deliver the NodeB for the Iridium NTN Direct service’s Radio Access Network – a key component facilitating uplink and downlink transmissions, modulation, encoding, and scheduling of transmissions.

Making satellite-based IoT available to everyone – everywhere

A unique aspect of the Iridium NTN Direct service is its pairing of Iridium’s truly global LEO constellation with IoT capabilities based on 3GPP standards, a framework that both partners have actively advocated for within the 3GPP organization.

“Iridium NTN Direct is ambitious and brilliant – both in its vision and execution. Iridium is using an already proven satellite constellation, and through our NodeB and other contributions, expanding that same constellation to also support NTN IoT services based on 3GPP standards. This will not only unlock a myriad of commercial opportunities – it will also give everyday people access to the incredible power of satellite technology in ways never seen before”

Jesper Noer, Vice President Commercial, Gatehouse Satcom

Once fully deployed, Iridium NTN Direct will make standardized devices more accessible and affordable in remote locations – including sensors in the Arctic region, pump stations in isolated areas, or even everyday consumer devices. These devices will transfer data via the Iridium® satellite network to ground stations, where Gatehouse Satcom’s 5G NB-IoT NodeB – together with other components – will manage and facilitate the data flow.

Iridium NTN Direct is a strategic program to develop a standards-based service that will open new markets to our highly reliable satellite network. As we built a team of top companies to support its development, Gatehouse Satcom’s experience pioneering NTN in 3GPP specifications stood out, as well as their track record of success. We’re excited to see the continued progress they are making as we prepare for on-air testing around mid-year.

Tim Last, Executive Vice President, Iridium

Study, Test, Deploy

Besides providing the NodeB, Gatehouse Satcom has collaborated with Iridium since the early phases of the project, conducting a feasibility study that helped validate the technical concept. As with many satellite projects, Gatehouse Satcom has also provided test and verification software for in-lab validation and test with other system parts.

Having an industry leader like Iridium recognize the potential of our 5G NB-IoT NodeB is a true validation of us and our technology. Five years ago, we took a bold stance – channeling our expertise into developing satellite software based on 5G NTN standards – and we are thrilled that Iridium is championing this standardized approach. I firmly believe that the growth of the satellite industry – and its broader adoption by the public – will be driven by 3GPP standards.

Kenney Schmidt Christiansen, CEO, Gatehouse Satcom

The status of Iridium NTN Direct

Development of the service is well underway, and it is expected to launch in 2026. The Iridium constellation – a network of 66 LEO satellites – will receive a software upgrade to enable NB-IoT capabilities, allowing Iridium to operate both its traditional satellite communication services and the NB-IoT Iridium NTN Direct service on the same network. This strategic move provides a competitive edge by leveraging proven satellite assets for next-generation connectivity.