Iridium has announced the service launch of its Certus GMDSS maritime safety services, offering distress alerts, safety voice, and Maritime Safety Information (MSI) via the Certus satellite network.
The system also offers additional regulated services like Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) and Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) alongside GMDSS through a single antenna.
The Lars Thrane LT-4200S will be the first Certus GMDSS terminal available to the market, with other equipment manufacturers such as Cobham Satcom, Intellian, and Thales expected to introduce a combination of Iridium Certus 700 and 200 GMDSS systems in the coming months.
If a vessel experiences a distress situation, pushing the red DISTRESS button on the GMDSS terminal will automatically alert a Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) of the vessel’s position, information and emergency. Within 30 seconds of receiving the distress call, the terminal automatically calls the RCC, allowing crew to give precise information to the RCC on their situation.
“We’re incredibly excited to provide mariners a ready-to-implement service that not only meets industry standards of required safety equipment, but streamlines their overall communications onboard,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium.
“As the maritime industry constantly experiences new challenges and desires new advancements in technology, Iridium will continue to develop dependable and robust solutions for the seafarer. With over 25 years of providing life-saving services, we’re proud to have a solution such as Iridium Certus GMDSS be on the forefront of that continuous innovation.”
