Peplink and Iridium Partner to Deliver Global Connectivity

At 5Gstore.com, we’ve always been focused on providing our customers with the most reliable, future-ready connectivity solutions. From pioneering cellular failover to integrating cutting-edge LEO satellite services like Starlink, Peplink has remained a leader in SD-WAN and multi-WAN technology. Now, Peplink is taking a significant step forward by partnering with Iridium Communications Inc, a move that will fill a critical gap in the connectivity landscape.

In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the significance of this announcement, explore the history and capabilities of Iridium, compare it with other LEO giants like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and explain what this means for Peplink users and the wider connectivity ecosystem.

A Brief History of Iridium

Iridium Communications has a fascinating and turbulent history that mirrors the evolution of satellite technology itself.

Founded in 1987 by engineers at Motorola, Iridium’s original vision was ambitious: to create a constellation of 77 satellites (the atomic number of Iridium, hence the name) that would provide global satellite phone service. After over a decade of development and more than $5 billion invested, Iridium launched its service in 1998 with 66 operational satellites (the reduced number was still sufficient for coverage). However, the company struggled financially and filed for bankruptcy just nine months after launch due to high costs and low adoption.

Yet, Iridium’s story didn’t end there. In 2000, a consortium of private investors acquired the company for a fraction of its original cost, recognizing its immense value for niche markets such as maritime, aviation, military, and remote industrial use. Over the next two decades, Iridium became synonymous with reliability and global coverage, particularly in areas beyond the reach of cellular or terrestrial networks.

Today, Iridium operates a modernized second-generation constellation known as Iridium NEXT, completed in 2019. These satellites deliver L-Band voice and data services under the Iridium Certus® brand, offering speeds from 22 Kbps to up to 704 Kbps, more than sufficient for telemetry, messaging, and other mission-critical communications.

How Iridium Compares to Starlink and Project Kuiper

To understand the importance of Peplink’s integration with Iridium, it’s helpful to compare Iridium’s offerings with two of the most talked-about players in the satellite space: Starlink (by SpaceX) and Project Kuiper (by Amazon).

1. Satellite Architecture and Coverage

Iridium uses 66 active LEO satellites in polar orbits, ensuring 100% global coverage, including the poles and oceans. This is a huge differentiator for industries like maritime shipping, remote mining, and emergency response.
Starlink currently has over 6,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and offers impressive broadband speeds. However, coverage can still be limited by regional licensing, terrain, or environmental obstructions.
Project Kuiper is still in early deployment stages, with plans to launch over 3,000 satellites by 2027. As of now, there is no commercial service available.

2. Data Speed and Application

Starlink excels in providing broadband internet speeds (100–250 Mbps), making it suitable for video streaming, large data uploads, and more.
Iridium Certus, by contrast, focuses on resilient, low-bandwidth communication ideal for IoT, tracking, messaging, and failover, applications that need to work no matter what.
Kuiper aims to mirror Starlink’s broadband goals but has yet to demonstrate real-world capabilities.

3. Reliability and Resilience

Iridium’s L-Band spectrum is far more resistant to interference from weather or atmospheric conditions, unlike Starlink and Kuiper’s Ka/Ku-Band, which can experience signal degradation during heavy rain or storms.
This makes Iridium a critical backup or failover option for organizations that cannot afford downtime.

4. Latency and Performance

Starlink and Kuiper promise low latency (20–50 ms) suitable for interactive applications like VoIP and video conferencing.
Iridium, with higher latency (~500–700 ms), is not intended for real-time interactivity, but excels in reliable packet delivery for essential services.

The Power of Peplink + Iridium: Intelligent Backup That Works Anywhere

Peplink’s mission has always been about delivering unbreakable connectivity through SD-WAN and SpeedFusion. With this partnership, Iridium Certus joins Peplink’s arsenal of WAN sources, giving users unprecedented global reach.

Here’s what makes the Peplink + Iridium combo so compelling:

Automatic Failover: If your primary 5G, LTE, or Starlink connection fails due to weather, congestion, or obstructions, Peplink will seamlessly failover to Iridium.
SpeedFusion Traffic Steering: Peplink routers will intelligently route critical traffic, like telemetry, SMS alerts, or command/control packets, over Iridium while prioritizing bandwidth-heavy traffic for other WANs.
InControl 2 Integration: As always, users can manage, monitor, and configure their WAN performance remotely with Peplink’s centralized management platform.
Certus 200 and 700 Compatibility: These Iridium terminals will work seamlessly with Peplink’s routing firmware, with auto-detection, health monitoring, and traffic optimization.

What This Means for 5Gstore Customers

At 5Gstore, we’ve watched Peplink build out deep integrations with satellite providers before, most notably with Starlink, which led to router-level support, automated WAN detection, and specialized enclosures like the Antenna MAX S.

We fully expect Peplink to follow a similar path with Iridium.

Here’s what we’re likely to see:

Firmware Enhancements: Peplink will likely build Iridium Certus support into their router firmware, allowing plug-and-play compatibility with Iridium terminals.
Certified Reseller Program: Just as they enabled partners to resell Starlink-compatible hardware and services, Peplink will probably offer bundled Iridium + Peplink kits through authorized partners like 5Gstore.
New Enclosure: Antenna MAX for Iridium? It’s logical to assume a specialized antenna enclosure, similar to the Antenna MAX S, will emerge, allowing customers to mount Iridium terminals alongside Peplink routers in a single, ruggedized housing for marine, transportation, or remote deployment use cases.

Industries That Will Benefit Most

This Peplink-Iridium partnership unlocks major new capabilities for industries that can’t afford communication failures:

Maritime: Ships out of cellular and Starlink coverage will still maintain control and monitoring through Iridium failover.
Emergency Services: Wildfire teams, search-and-rescue, and first responders can maintain communication no matter where they are.
Oil & Gas: Offshore rigs and remote sites can continue telemetry, sensor reporting, and safety alerts regardless of local infrastructure.
Rail and Mining: Trains and equipment in deep canyons or remote deserts will remain connected through Iridium’s pole-to-pole coverage.

5Gstore Take

The Peplink + Iridium partnership is more than a simple integration, it’s a shift toward resilient connectivity that’s global, intelligent, and available now.

At 5Gstore.com, we anticipate this partnership will create:

New bundled kits combining Peplink routers and Iridium terminals
A specialized enclosure (maybe an Antenna MAX-I?) for field deployments
Deep firmware support to enable instant failover without user intervention
Expanded partner access to sell and support Iridium-compatible solutions

Just as we saw with Starlink, Peplink isn’t just reacting to the satellite trend, they’re helping define it. By enabling their SD-WAN platform to interoperate with both broadband satellites like Starlink and resilient narrowband solutions like Iridium, they are giving customers the tools to design networks without blind spots.

For businesses that need to be online always and everywhere, this partnership is a game-changer.

Stay tuned, we’ll be the first to offer Peplink + Iridium bundles as they become available. Reach out to 5Gstore today if you’d like to get on the interest list.

Want to learn more about Iridium, Starlink, and Project Kuiper?
Check out our other blog posts and comparison tools, or contact our tech team for expert advice on which connectivity path is right for you.

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