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Icom Partners with Iridium to Develop a Handheld Satellite Radio

New partnership will enable radio communications anywhere on earth.
Icom-Satellite radio SAT100
Icom-Satellite radio SAT100 combines convenience of a handheld with coverage and benefits of satellite communication. Courtesy ICOM

Icom, well known among boating anglers for its broad line of handheld and fixed-mount VHF radios, has announced a partnership with Iridium Communications Inc. to develop and sell a new satellite push-to-talk (PTT) handheld communications product, similar to a handheld VHF radio, that uses the Iridium satellite network.

The partnership will combine Icom’s radio background with Iridium’s satellite expertise to develop the satellite PTT radio, which will enable radio communications anywhere on earth.

In addition to vastly expanding the communications range over a handheld VHF radio, Iridium’s unique interconnected satellite architecture ensures stable and reliable communications. It also maintains communications in the face of large-scale disasters that might disrupt terrestrial networks.

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“Icom has been developing various wireless communications equipment for land use, marine use, and air band use. “This satellite PTT project will be a tough challenge, but the project will fill an important piece of our product lineups that cover all areas from the surface of the earth and even in to space. We continue to challenge ourselves,” said Masataka Harima, president of Icom.

“The market has shown a clear demand for a PTT-only radio solution designed for the Iridium network,” said Joel Thompson, vice president for Iridium’s Global Product and Service Management.

The shipment time and price of the product were not available as of this writing.

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