IMOCA extends relationship naming Iridium and Thales as official communications partners
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Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) is proud to share that the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) has extended its relationship naming Iridium and Thales as its official communications partners. IMOCA skippers will continue to rely on Iridium Certus® as their primary means of satellite communication at sea, after years of successful races and even life-saving communications provided.
Beginning in 2019, IMOCA skippers set sail with the new state-of-the-art satcom system, relying on Iridium Certus during several high-profile yachting events that attracted a global audience, including the prestigious Vendée Globe race. As the official communications partners, Iridium and partner Thales will continue to equip the IMOCA racing fleet with the Iridium Certus satellite connectivity delivered by the Thales VesseLINK™ 700 terminal.
"Continuing our partnership with Iridium and Thales justifies how confident the skippers and the Class are in this technology,” says Antoine Mermod, President, IMOCA Class. “By combining the expertise of two companies, our boats are equipped with the closest land-like level of communication ever proposed. The applications of the equipment on-board an IMOCA yacht participating in the Vendée Globe race remain essential tests for any developments; this communication combination has definitely proven its worth.”
Iridium® is the only satellite network with reliable, truly global connectivity, even in adverse conditions at sea. The connectivity solution enables IMOCA skippers to easily communicate with their shore teams, send photos and texts to friends and family, conduct interviews over Skype, Zoom or Microsoft TEAMS, and in the most extreme cases, provide critical connectivity during rescue situations.
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 new 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.