Iridium Communications + Nordic Semiconductor.
What’s their new collaboration all about?
Let’s get into it.
With 760+ employees and various contractors worldwide (450+ value-added partners and 2.1 million global subscribers, to boot), global satellite communications company Iridium provides access to voice and data services everywhere it can. Managing several corporate and technical operations centers from McLean, Virginia to Chandler and Tempe, Arizona and elsewhere, Iridium provides its services through a constellation of satellites (i.e. satellite IoT or “satIoT” - read here for more info on that topic). Through its efforts, Iridium is keeping people — and the “things” of our Internet of Things — connected in super remote areas on land, at sea, or in the air. (Read additional Iridium coverage here.)
Then, Nordic Semiconductor. This Norwegian fabless semiconductor company specializes in wireless communication technology that powers IoT. Having served as a trusted provider of integrated electronics design services and wireless connectivity since 1983, Nordic’s solutions are used by some of the world’s leading brands in mobile phone accessories, consumer electronics, healthcare, industrial automation and much more. And with its low-power, compact LTE-M/NB-IoT cellular IoT offerings, Nordic continues to supply what’s needed for applications involving asset tracking, transportation, automotive, smart home technology, VR/AR, health-monitoring wearables; the list goes on.
And this morning, Iridium and Nordic announced that they’re collaborating; specifically, to integrate Iridium’s NTN Direct service into Nordic's LTE-M/NB-IoT modules and chipsets.
Iridium NTN Direct is reportedly endeavoring to create “the world's first truly global NB-IoT service.” Through its Project Stardust initiative, Iridium is developing this capability, quote, “in coordination with the 3GPP’s recent decision to accept Iridium enabling enhancements in its next release.” This would subsequently allow Iridium's satellite IoT service to be accessible by any device with a 3GPP release 19 compliant chipset.
In that vein, Nordic plans to incorporate the Iridium NTN Direct service's global communication capabilities as part of its 3GPP release 19 NTN roadmap, thereby taking advantage of the established reliability and experience of Iridium’s network.
“Nordic Semiconductor is an industry leader that continues to be at the forefront of innovation with its low power LTE-M and NB-IoT modules and chipsets,” explained Bryan Hartin, Executive Vice President and Iridium. “The integration of Iridium NTN Direct into its modules and chipsets marks a new chapter in Nordic's storied history and will create a universe of consumer and industrial devices with the capability to stay connected from anywhere on earth. We look forward to working with Nordic Semiconductor and bringing both their chipset- and device-side experience to the Iridium ecosystem.”
Oyvind Birkenes, Executive Vice President, Long Range BU at Nordic, also commented.
“Iridium truly is a global leader in satellite communications,” Birkenes said. “It is exciting that Iridium is taking the step to enable low-cost, 3GPP-standard NB-IoT modules and chipsets like Nordic's nRF9151 to connect to its network of satellites. This helps bring the vision of universal connectivity for global and massive IoT to life.”
Learn more about next-gen Internet of Things solutions at IoT Evolution Expo 2025, which will be taking place from February 11-13, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW experience, this event combines educational conference programming with a robust exhibit hall, networking events and other activities, bringing together buyers and providers of business technology products and services that are huge for IoT.
Edited by
Alex Passett
