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Newly completed roaming agreement extends Deutsche Telekom's IoT coverage onto Iridium's satellite network
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, aircraft surveillance, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, and Deutsche Telekom IoT (DT IoT) today announced the successful transmission of a voice message over Iridium NTN Direct℠ in a demonstration with Toyota. The milestone message was sent from a Toyota vehicle equipped with a Nordic Semiconductor nRF9151 development board, a Deutsche Telekom IoT SIM and transmitted entirely via the Iridium satellite network during the Telekom Satellite Day 2026. The demonstration follows the successful completion of technical integration and a global roaming agreement between Iridium and Deutsche Telekom IoT.
"The voice message sent over our network from a Toyota vehicle illustrates how Iridium NTN Direct will enhance consumer and commercial applications for people and assets operating outside traditional coverage areas," said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. "This demonstration is a glimpse into the future of truly global, standards-based connectivity. Now is the time to begin integrating Iridium NTN Direct."
The first message sent, "testing, testing, one, two, freeway," successfully demonstrated standards-based NB-IoT voice messaging over Iridium's fully operational low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, and was supported by Fraunhofer's AI-based NESC® Voice Codec. This capability will extend reliable connectivity beyond terrestrial coverage for automotive, logistics, remote utilities, smart agriculture, emergency response and other IoT applications that need to stay connected wherever they operate. Through Iridium NTN Direct, eligible DT IoT customers using compatible standards-based NB-IoT devices will be able to roam between terrestrial networks and Iridium satellites.
"The future of connectivity does not end where terrestrial networks reach their limits," said Christian Schwalbe, CEO, Deutsche Telekom IoT. "Together with strong partners such as Iridium and many others, we are connecting mobile communications and satellite to form a global IoT infrastructure that keeps vehicles, machines and people reliably accessible. The demonstration with Toyota shows how technological innovation can be turned into concrete added value for our customers."
Manfred Lutzky, Head of the Communications Audio Department at Fraunhofer IIS said, "We are very pleased to support this Automotive NTN Voice PoC by providing Fraunhofer's innovative AI-based NESC Voice Codec. NESC enables reliable, natural sounding and highly intelligible satellite voice services at scale by operating at bitrates of 1 kb/s or less." He continued, "This demonstration with Iridium, Deutsche Telekom, Toyota and the other partners is a great example of cross-industry collaboration that will help to grow the satellite voice ecosystem."
With the roaming agreement now completed, Deutsche Telekom IoT customers are poised to take advantage of the commercial availability of Iridium NTN Direct in Q4 2026. Selected European customers are already testing and developing applications on the Iridium network using Deutsche Telekom's Global SIM.
Unlike regional satellite solutions that rely on cellular spectrum or are limited by geographic availability, Iridium NTN Direct is designed to extend coverage using Iridium's existing global L-band LEO satellite constellation. The service leverages a network already operating worldwide, providing a path for mobile network operators, chipset manufacturers, and device makers to extend connectivity without building or maintaining additional terrestrial infrastructure.
For Deutsche Telekom IoT, the integration further strengthens its "network of networks" approach: combining terrestrial and non-terrestrial connectivity to provide customers with reliable IoT coverage wherever their assets operate.
For more information about Iridium NTN Direct, visit www.iridium.com/ntn-direct
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world's only truly global mobile satellite network. It serves as a platform for innovation, enabling voice, data, and messaging, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and aircraft surveillance services anywhere on Earth. Through its satellite constellation and integrated capabilities like Aireon, the world's only space-based air traffic surveillance system, Iridium delivers services that support safety-focused operations across aviation, maritime, government, industrial, and consumer markets. The company is a leader in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and is advancing direct-to-device (D2D) communications based on open standards to expand access to satellite services.
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium innovates through an ecosystem of more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide. For more information visit www.iridium.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the capabilities, benefits and availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the timing of commercial availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service, the company's ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation, general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 12, 2026, and the company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on July 22, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
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