Miles Jamison 
Iridium Communications and Qualcomm Technologies Inc. have partnered to integrate Iridium data services into the Snapdragon Mission Tactical Radio, a communications platform designed for U.S. government and allied defense users.
Iridium said Tuesday the collaboration aims to deliver secure, resilient L-band satellite connectivity for devices operating in environments where terrestrial networks are limited or unavailable.
“The Snapdragon MTR positions Iridium and QTI at the forefront of next-generation communications architectures while equipping warfighters and coalition partners with scalable solutions,” said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president of government programs at Iridium.
Snapdragon MTR Enhanced with Iridium Satellite Services
Snapdragon MTR-equipped devices, including handheld radios, mounted systems and autonomous vehicles, can now access Iridium’s Short Burst Data for low-latency messaging and Iridium Burst for broadcast transmission to unlimited devices. Combining Iridium’s waveform with QTI’s wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GNSS, provides mission-ready connectivity optimized for size, weight, power and cost, or SWaP-C, requirements.
Iridium and QTI are also integrating Iridium data capabilities into the Snapdragon X75 platform via an M.2 modem module, supporting government-driven satellite communication innovations.
QTI Devices Targeted for EMSS Inclusion
Iridium is working with original equipment manufacturers to make QTI-powered devices with Iridium data services available through the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program, which offers secure satellite communications to approved government users.
