Network Performance

Iridium owns and operates the most reliable global communications network available. Our reach is unparalleled and our service is unrivaled. And, Iridium call quality is as much as three times greater than the competition's.

Click the link below to read about how independent testing confirms Iridium's quality advantage. Highlights include:

• More than 99 percent of calls placed through Iridium handsets were successfully connected compared to 51.3 percent of all calls from a competitor's handset.
• 98.1 percent of calls on Iridium handsets were successfully connected and completed without being dropped during a three-minute period compared to 36.2 percent of calls on a competitor's handset.

Read the complete 2007 Frost and Sullivan Report on Iridium Quality
Read the complete 2008 Frost and Sullivan Report on Iridium Quality

One of the reasons Iridium works so well is that our system has more satellites than any other commercial constellation, and they are constantly in view of every part of the Earth. With no service gaps, Iridium users should be able to pick up and hold a strong communications signal, allowing them to place or receive calls just about anywhere as long as there is a direct line of sight to the sky.

Iridium is often used as a backup to cellular data modems - many businesses that need a very reliable connection automatically switch over to Iridium when their GSM data service fades or is unavailable. With terrestrial mobile systems only covering about 15 percent of the Earth's surface (and certainly not the sky, oceans or poles), Iridium is the only connection available to many parts of the world. Even in urban and suburban environments, Iridium data solutions are providing reliable backup.