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September 11, 2008: Bethesda, Maryland, Iridium Satellite LLC reports
that its mobile satellite communications service has been providing peak
levels of reliable, critical lifelines to first responders in the Gulf
Coast Region since news of hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike started to
appear.
"When first responders tell us they have positioned their Iridium
equipment and services in the eye of the storm, we know we're doing our
job," said Greg Ewert, executive vice president for global distribution
channels at Iridium. "We are concerned about the well-being of citizens
affected by the hurricanes, as are our partners. Our, suppliers, employees
and partners have worked around the clock to ensure that Iridium equipment
and services are available to anyone needing a communications lifeline." Outreach by Iridium and its partner base has resulted in a significant
increase in usage in the Gulf Coast. In areas affected by the recent
storms, hundreds of subscribers made calls on the Iridium network to test
their equipment or to conduct mission-critical operations. When news alerts
of the hurricanes starting appearing last week, network traffic more than
doubled in the region over the previous week. The company shipped 5,000
phones to service providers for new subscribers in the past two weeks, with
the majority going to partners serving the Gulf Coast. Iridium is ideal for backup communications services when land-based,
cellular and radio telecom services become inoperable due to winds and
flooding. In addition, Iridium-based equipment and services are capable of
being interoperable with all other emergency communications systems,
including UHF and VHF radios. Iridium is a critical communications backup
due to its high network service quality, its truly mobile nature and its
superior coverage footprint. Major relief organizations have relied on
Iridium since its inception due to the gap-free global coverage only
Iridium can offer. "No matter where their staffs deploy across the globe, emergency aid
organizations can count on Iridium to provide a critical lifeline of
reliable satellite communications coverage," Ewert said. Iridium has worked proactively with its more than 175 distribution
partners, as well as with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S.
Coast Guard, and other emergency response customers, to ensure the
availability of its devices and services during this busy hurricane season. "Our high traffic levels are a reflection of the critical importance of
Iridium to the national communications infrastructure," said Ewert.
"Iridium satellite phones and data equipment can be the only means of
communications when a disaster strikes and land-based infrastructure is
impacted." Iridium and its distribution partners proactively prepare for
anticipated disasters so that they are ready at a moment's notice to
provide extra equipment and services on demand. They have been
pre-positioning equipment in the field and in storage for immediate
shipment. The DoD furnished Iridium satellite phones to military units
preparing for response activities in the Gulf Region. On the commercial
side, C.J. Webber, president of Miami-based SatPhoneStore, a distributor
for Iridium service provider Stratos, reported that he had, " ... never
seen so many walk-in customers for Iridium phones in the history of his
business." Michelle Williamson, general manager of Able-Infosat, said her
company has seen an increased demand from the oil and gas industry for
Iridium phones, having deployed close to 100 phones in the first 24 hours
when news of Gustav hit. For the first responder community, Iridium offers multiple programs,
including: -- The Iridium Network Quality Guarantee - The Iridium Network Quality
Guarantee promises 100 percent satisfaction with its service. A subscriber
can receive credits of up to 100 minutes of airtime and three months of
subscription fees if the Iridium network fails to complete properly
initiated calls through the subscriber's new Iridium handset. Claims must
be submitted within 90 days of service activation for validation through a
participating service provider. Iridium works with service providers to
ensure problems are not related to operator error or improper usage, and
provides assistance to remediate any concerns to the customer's
satisfaction. Independent testing has verified that Iridium's first-time
connection rate is better than 99 percent. -- "Test Your Satellite Phone" Initiative - In 2007, Iridium also
launched its first annual "Test Your Satellite Phone Week" at the beginning
of the U.S. hurricane season. This year, the American Red Cross and
ProtectingAmerica.org partnered with Iridium on this initiative - which
extends throughout the year - to educate satellite phone users on the
importance of regularly checking their batteries, reviewing their operating
procedures and ensuring that all required accessory cables and chargers are
available before going into the field. This campaign urges all satellite
phone users to call a special toll-free number (00-1-480-752-5105) for
testing. Callers will hear a recorded message confirming that their call
was completed and offering quick tips on proper handset usage. -- The "Trade-Up To Iridium" Reliability-To-The-Rescue Program - This
program is for North American Globalstar mobile satellite services (MSS)
users who are dissatisfied with the company's widely reported low network
availability. Until September 30, 2008, Globalstar customers may turn their
Globalstar satellite phones in to participating Iridium service providers
for rebates of up to $700 for Iridium equipment and services. In return,
Iridium is donating $5 for each new activation of a former Globalstar
customer through this program to the international Association of Public
Communications Officers (APCO) Silent Key Scholarship Fund to support
members with financial needs. To date, the program has resulted in
donations of $17,000 to APCO. Many Iridium service partners have geared up to immediately deliver
equipment into the hurricane hot zones or other disaster scenes. The
following offer emergency response and business continuity solutions: Able-Infosat (http://www.infosat.com)
ARINC (http://www.arinc.com)
AST (http://www.satcomms.com)
Blue Sky Network (BSN) (http://www.blueskynetwork.com)
Cellhire (http://www.cellhire.com)
Gardline Communications (http://www.gardlinecomms.us)
Global Satellite USA (http://www.globalsatellite.us)
MVS (http://www.mvsusa.com)
Roadpost (http://www.roadpost.com)
Satcom Direct (http://www.satcomdirect.com)
SatPhoneStore (http://www.satphonestore.com)
Sky Connect (http://www.skyconnect.com)
Stratos Global Corporation (http://www.stratosglobal.com)
Vizada (http://www.vizada.com)
World Communication Center (WCC) (http://www.wcclp.com) About Iridium Satellite Iridium Satellite LLC (http://www.iridium.com) is the only MSS company
offering gap-free, pole-to-pole coverage over the entire globe. The Iridium
constellation of low-earth orbiting (LEO), cross-linked satellites provides
critical voice and data services including service to areas not served by
other communication networks. Subscriber growth at Iridium has been driven
by increasing demand for reliable, secure, global communications. Iridium
serves commercial markets through a worldwide network of hundreds of
distributors, and provides services to the DoD, and other U.S. and
international government agencies. The company's customers represent a
broad spectrum of industry, including maritime, aeronautical,
government/defense, public safety, utilities, oil/gas, mining, forestry,
heavy equipment and transportation. Iridium has launched a major
development program for its next-generation satellite constellation,
Iridium NEXT, which will result in continued and new Iridium MSS offerings.
The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md. and is privately held. SOURCEIridium Satellite LLC
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