Iridium today announced its plans to launch Iridium NEXT, with detailed plans for funding, building and deploying its next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT.

Iridium today announced its plans to launch Iridium NEXT, with detailed plans for funding, building and deploying its next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT.  The first satellites of Iridium NEXT are due to launch in Q1 2015.  Iridium NEXT will maintain the existing Iridium constellation architecture of 66 cross-linked satellite LEO covering 100% of the globe and will substantially enhance and extend Iridium mobile communications services, delivering:

• Higher data speeds
• Powerful new services and devices
• Advantages of IP technology
• Backward compatibility with current handsets, devices and applications