Iridium GO! is finally released

[C5dad]

These are excellent questions, and I apologize for not including this in my post. The GO! is still ultimately a 2.4 kbps data connection .

Ouch - I was running a modem with with quicker speeds in the 80's attaching to a VAX! That said - better something than nothing. Guess the question is: is the price worth the access/bandwidth??

 

[Matt_OCENS]

Ouch - I was running a modem with with quicker speeds in the 80's attaching to a VAX! That said - better something than nothing. Guess the question is: is the price worth the access/bandwidth??

Yeah, and the younger generations haven't even lived through the 56k days. Nevertheless, the key word is as you say: access. Iridium gives you access where no other network can, so if there are other networks available in a particular area, there is really no reason to use Iridium. If it can allow you to get some important emails out, download weather forecasts, and perhaps update your facebook page, without having to cut your trip short or modify your routing, than that is where you get the most value out of it.

Again, BGAN is the solution for mobile satellite broadband access but comparing it to Iridium opens up a whole different set of criteria and probably warrants its own discussion.

 

[EMrider]

I will check this out.

I have tried a few sat phone service providers over the past 8-10 years and Iridium has the best coverage by a wide margin.

R

 

[mpinco]

I guess the short answer to this is that if it is secure enough for the U.S. military than it is probably secure enough for the average civilian.

Satellite Communications Wide Open To Hackers

"Satellite terminals widely used in transportation, military, and industrial plants contain backdoors, hardcoded credentials, weak encryption algorithms, and other design flaws, a new report says......."

 

[pugslyyy]

I will check this out.

I have tried a few sat phone service providers over the past 8-10 years and Iridium has the best coverage by a wide margin.

R

That's why I decided to go with the inReach - it is iridium based and for me was the most economical way to have comms / emergency support on that network.

 

[Rando]

It is good to see that Iridium is still pursuing to consumer market.

However as a heavy Iridium user both personally and professionally (and a fan of Iridium over other networks) I am not sure the 'Go' would be the best option for many expeditioners or adventure travelers. One of my primary reasons for carrying a sat phone in the field is having a communications method that just works, not matter what (with rare and known exceptions). While the GO hardware provides the same channel as any other Iridium device, the requirement to use a smart phone removes much of the reliability and ruggedness from the system.

My compromise solution to reliable emergency communications and limited data is to use a 9555 phone (~$600 on ebay) with a USB cable or Iridium Axcesspoint (~$150). The axcesspoint is really just a cheap way of getting a lifetime subscription to GMN's Xgate data compression service but also gives you basically the same functionality as the Go.

The thing to remember with all these devices is that the only thing that you can really use the data service for is sending/receiving short text emails.

 

[Matt_OCENS]

It is good to see that Iridium is still pursuing to consumer market.

However as a heavy Iridium user both personally and professionally (and a fan of Iridium over other networks) I am not sure the 'Go' would be the best option for many expeditioners or adventure travelers. One of my primary reasons for carrying a sat phone in the field is having a communications method that just works, not matter what (with rare and known exceptions). While the GO hardware provides the same channel as any other Iridium device, the requirement to use a smart phone removes much of the reliability and ruggedness from the system.

My compromise solution to reliable emergency communications and limited data is to use a 9555 phone (~$600 on ebay) with a USB cable or Iridium Axcesspoint (~$150). The axcesspoint is really just a cheap way of getting a lifetime subscription to GMN's Xgate data compression service but also gives you basically the same functionality as the Go.

The thing to remember with all these devices is that the only thing that you can really use the data service for is sending/receiving short text emails.

Thanks for these comments, especially with your firsthand experience. I don't disagree with anything you are saying. I've been running into this conversation a lot now with GO! in which someone would like to use the GO! strictly for emergency calling which I wouldn't necessarily recommend because it requires a secondary device and you can't just pick it up and make a phone call like you can with a handheld.

I will, however, just interject on the GO!'s ruggedness in that it actually is a very rugged device and is rated the same as the Iridium 9575, but your overall ruggedness is ultimately dependent on how rugged your smartphone is since it is required for a majority of the functions on the GO! outside of tracking and SOS (and I think this is what you are alluding to). In some ways, I would argue that the GO! is actually more rugged because of its form factor and antenna design, but I think that gets into splitting hairs.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there using Iridium handhelds for data, and the primary reason is that it is the connection they have available and would otherwise not be able to do anything. In the case of using Iridium for data, the GO! eliminates the need for the axcesspoint if you are wanting to only operate off of a smartphone or tablet, and thus eliminates one component (assuming you are already carrying your smartphone/tablet)--and it comes in at an overall lower price point.

 

[Sirocco]

It is good to see that Iridium is still pursuing to consumer market.

However as a heavy Iridium user both personally and professionally (and a fan of Iridium over other networks) I am not sure the 'Go' would be the best option for many expeditioners or adventure travelers. One of my primary reasons for carrying a sat phone in the field is having a communications method that just works, not matter what (with rare and known exceptions). While the GO hardware provides the same channel as any other Iridium device, the requirement to use a smart phone removes much of the reliability and ruggedness from the system.

My compromise solution to reliable emergency communications and limited data is to use a 9555 phone (~$600 on ebay) with a USB cable or Iridium Axcesspoint (~$150). The axcesspoint is really just a cheap way of getting a lifetime subscription to GMN's Xgate data compression service but also gives you basically the same functionality as the Go.

The thing to remember with all these devices is that the only thing that you can really use the data service for is sending/receiving short text emails.

Agreed.

The previous comments about security and speeds do not really come into play for real world satellite communication use. Do I care if someone is listening in to a phone call to my mum when I haven't spoken to her for 6 months? And the only people in a 500km radius have no running water or electricity? not really. But I do care about letting my mum know I am ok.

When you have had no cellular access for 2 months on the road it is a real good feeling to be able to pick up the phone and send a 'text to email' or even make a phone call.

I dont think I like the idea of needing 2 devices to achieve this, especially not a smart phone that needs charging every other day and most are not rugged enough for anything outside of using in a vehicle.

Im sure some people will find a use for the GO! Maybe Adventure Cyclists? Just not us... yet.

G

 

[Rando]

I think we are on the same page here - it sounds like the GO itself is plenty rugged, it is the smartphone and the fact you need two devices that is the weak link. On the 9505/9555/9575 the weak point is the antenna, and the GO does seem to address that issue, although I would still say the other issues outweigh this advantage.

PS there is a nice smaller Otterbox that fits the 9555 a spare battery or two and the charger very nicely!

Thanks for these comments, especially with your firsthand experience. I don't disagree with anything you are saying. I've been running into this conversation a lot now with GO! in which someone would like to use the GO! strictly for emergency calling which I wouldn't necessarily recommend because it requires a secondary device and you can't just pick it up and make a phone call like you can with a handheld.

I will, however, just interject on the GO!'s ruggedness in that it actually is a very rugged device and is rated the same as the Iridium 9575, but your overall ruggedness is ultimately dependent on how rugged your smartphone is since it is required for a majority of the functions on the GO! outside of tracking and SOS (and I think this is what you are alluding to). In some ways, I would argue that the GO! is actually more rugged because of its form factor and antenna design, but I think that gets into splitting hairs.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there using Iridium handhelds for data, and the primary reason is that it is the connection they have available and would otherwise not be able to do anything. In the case of using Iridium for data, the GO! eliminates the need for the axcesspoint if you are wanting to only operate off of a smartphone or tablet, and thus eliminates one component (assuming you are already carrying your smartphone/tablet)--and it comes in at an overall lower price point.

 

[haven]

The Iridium web site lists ten partner companies, from whom the GO! system may be purchased in USA. I presume these firms have Iridium's confidence that they can support the product.
http://www.iridium.com/products/iridium-go.aspx

Matt, I don't see OCENS on this list. How does a company become an Iridium reseller? Maybe the "partners" paid extra to get on the list?

 

[Matt_OCENS]

The Iridium web site lists ten partner companies, from whom the GO! system may be purchased in USA. I presume these firms have Iridium's confidence that they can support the product.
http://www.iridium.com/products/iridium-go.aspx

Matt, I don't see OCENS on this list. How does a company become an Iridium reseller? Maybe the "partners" paid extra to get on the list?

The list that you are referring to is a list of distribution partners, not necessarily development partners. OCENS is a "service provider" which is why we aren't on this particular list. The distribution partners distribute wholesale products and airtime to service providers, so if an end-user were to contact a distribution partner (DP), they would get referred to one of the DP's service providers. Sometime soon, Iridium will be publishing an app site that will list available apps for the GO! and should have information about third party developers, such as OCENS, as well.

OCENS was a partner developer with Iridium for the GO!, specifically with the integration of our weather systems, and as a result have been involved with the project since the prototype phase and thus have been able to validate the platform since "day one." Besides this recent project, we've had a close relationship with Iridium for many years.

To more specifically answer your question, it doesn't require a whole lot to become a "reseller." This is why you'll find a lot of resellers out there who know very little about the products and technology and are for the most part just moving boxes, so one must be cautious/realistic about the type of after-sales support you'll receive depending on who you deal with. One other distinction amongst resellers is the ability to provide complete solutions compared to simply reselling individual components. OCENS has developed its own supporting products and services for satellite communications for years so we naturally fall into the solutions provider category.

I hope that this further clarifies your question.

 

[SamM]

When will we see a sat device that will free me from the cellular system and allow global communications and true internet connectivity. Let's say a system that will do everything. Where I live, cellular is not possible without added hardware and where I go it is unavailable. I'd really like to see one system that would truly do it all and give me internet capabilities.

I'm looking at adding an InReach Explorer but that adds to my monthly costs and will not replace my cellular data/phone. I thought the IridiumGO was the next greatest thing but that turned out, not to be true.

SamM

 

[Matt_OCENS]

When will we see a sat device that will free me from the cellular system and allow global communications and true internet connectivity. Let's say a system that will do everything. Where I live, cellular is not possible without added hardware and where I go it is unavailable. I'd really like to see one system that would truly do it all and give me internet capabilities.

I'm looking at adding an InReach Explorer but that adds to my monthly costs and will not replace my cellular data/phone. I thought the IridiumGO was the next greatest thing but that turned out, not to be true.

SamM

This platform exists already. It is called Inmarsat BGAN. It is comparable to 3G/4G in terms of capabilities, but it is much different in terms of cost since you are paying per MB of data usage and currently there aren't any "unlimited" plans. This platform, however, took a step in the direction of lower airtime and equipment cost with the release of the new iSavi-IsatHub, which is the most cost-effective (and compact) terminal to date, and also has new lower cost airtime plans that are unique to the iSavi. You can see details on it here.

 

[SamM]

I guess, I should have used the word affordable in there somewhere. Looks great but it needs to come down in price and I would require an unlimited plan. Thanks for the info, Matt. I suppose it's a waiting game now.

SamM

 

[1leglance]

There is an old anology that is used in racing and everywhere else I bet....

You can chose any 2 of the three items below....but ONLY 2
Fast
Cheap
High Quality

If you want fast, high quality comm that works anywhere it won't be cheap.
If you want cheap, fast comm...it might not be high quality..
you see how this works