MCLEAN, Va., May 19, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) has received orders for more than 100 Iridium OpenPort broadband satellite terminals for installation on Spanish commercial fishing vessels.
"Iridium OpenPort is very popular among Spanish fishing captains," said Javier Ormaechea, CEO of Zunibal, an Iridium service provider in Spain. "They prefer Iridium OpenPort because of its worldwide coverage, including the important fisheries in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and also its high-bandwidth data connections and competitive pricing for equipment and airtime."
Ormaechea noted that many Spanish fishing vessel operators are using Iridium OpenPort to comply with the new European Union (EU) regulations for electronic log keeping and reporting. In a move to replace traditional paper logbooks and reporting, the EU has mandated that all fishing fleets operated by member states must transmit daily reports of catch, transshipments, landings and sales electronically to fishing authorities. The e-logbook regulations came into effect January 1, 2010, for vessels more than 24 meters in length, and the EU will extend the regulations to vessels more than 15 meters in length on July 1, 2011.
Spain has more than 2,300 vessels subject to the EU e-logbook requirements, more than any other single European country. The Spanish government is offering subsidies to vessel owners to offset some of the costs to purchase and install equipment to meet the e-logbook requirements.
Lorenzo Dominguez, captain of the FV Gene, said that, in addition to meeting the EU e-logbook requirements, Iridium OpenPort provides a complete communication center for ship-to-shore voice and data calling.
"The three separate phone lines are very popular, since crew do not have to stand in line waiting to use a single phone circuit," he said. "Our crew also uses Zunibal's optimized satellite email software 'Zunport' to send e-mails to families and friends at home, which is great for crew welfare."
Antonio Gonzalez Cadilla, captain of the FV Mauel Alba, said, "We like Iridium OpenPort because it is less expensive than other satellite systems, in terms of the equipment, installation, maintenance and usage costs. The small antenna is easy to install and has no moving parts, greatly reducing the ongoing maintenance costs and improving reliability."
Greg Ewert, executive vice president, global distribution channels at Iridium, said that Iridium is in the advanced stages of planning for Iridium NEXT, the next-generation satellites that will replace the existing 66-satellite constellation starting in 2015. "In the meantime, we expect our existing satellite network to continue providing robust and reliable service until the new satellites are launched."
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium Communications Inc. (www.iridium.com) is the only mobile satellite service (MSS) company offering coverage over the entire globe. The Iridium constellation of low-earth orbiting (LEO) cross-linked satellites provides critical voice and data services for areas not served by terrestrial communication networks. Iridium serves commercial markets through a worldwide network of distributors, and provides services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other U.S. and international government agencies. The company's customers represent a broad spectrum of industry, including maritime, aeronautical, government/defense, public safety, utilities, oil/gas, mining, forestry, heavy equipment and transportation. Iridium has launched a major development program for its next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT. The company is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A. and trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbols IRDM (common stock), IRDMW ($7.00 warrants), IRDMZ ($11.50 warrants) and IRDMU (units).
About Zunibal
Zunibal S.L. (www.zunibal.com) is a global leader in technologies for long-distance tuna fishing operations. Zunibal was a pioneer in the development of Iridium-based systems for detecting and tracking tuna. The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified. Zunibal maintains technical service offices in five different countries to support its fishing customers. Zunibal recently received approval by Spanish authorities for commercial fishing vessel monitoring systems based on Iridium's short-burst data service.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Iridium NEXT. Other forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the development and availability of financing for Iridium NEXT and other risks that affect our ability to generate cash internally, as well as general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2010. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.