Iridium Launches GMDSS Academy

MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice and data satellite communications, today announced the launch of the Iridium^® Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Academy (GMDSS Academy). Providing curricula specific to GMDSS and related safety services, the GMDSS Academy is dedicated to ensuring maritime students receive the required Iridium GMDSS safety instruction for working aboard Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) class vessels. The GMDSS Academy curricula are free, taught by Iridium Service Providers (SPs), and can benefit any seafarer, partner or installer seeking a safer environment while at sea. Thousands of maritime colleges around the world can benefit from the GMDSS Academy curricula, which can be easily integrated with existing coursework.

Iridium GMDSS Academy

Provided as a Public Service, Iridium GMDSS is an automated ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship service regulated by the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) SOLAS convention and provides support and life-saving help to distressed mariners at sea. In 2020, Iridium GMDSS became the world's first and only truly global, real-time maritime emergency service in the world. With its weather-resilient L-band spectrum, Iridium GMDSS enables users to make emergency phone calls, initiate an SOS with the distress alert (SOS button), and transmit Maritime Safety Information (MSI) such as the location of dangerous debris, navigational warnings, and other anomalies via Iridium SafetyCast^®.

The GMDSS Academy curricula consist of three training packs: The Iridium Network, Iridium GMDSS, and Iridium Maritime Security Services. Each provides in-depth detail while helping students remain up to date on the latest technology and changes to SOLAS GMDSS regulations.

"The GMDSS Academy is instrumental to improving safety at sea by providing critical GMDSS updates and communicating Iridium processes and procedures," said Wouter Deknopper, Vice President and General Manager of Iridium's Maritime Line of Business. "Offering thorough educational curricula gives us the opportunity to distribute life-saving information and answer common questions before mariners set out to sea. Any maritime school, association or government agency can contact us to become trained as expert instructors for their constituents."

The Iridium GMDSS Academy training packs are available to anyone free-of-charge and can be downloaded by visiting the Iridium GMDSS Academy. Visitors will also find a number of educational videos and background information about Iridium GMDSS including Iridium GMDSS related case studies, terminal unboxing and installation tutorials, and a list of FAQ.  Iridium GMDSS Academy curricula will be continuously updated over time with participating organizations contacted as new materials become available.

To learn more about Iridium, visit: www.iridium.com

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium^® is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations, and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. In 2019, the company completed a generational upgrade of its satellite network and launched its specialty broadband service, Iridium Certus^®. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium products, services, and partner solutions, visit www.iridium.com.