Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), a global leader in satellite communication services, has unveiled a significant development today. A fresh five-year commercial deal has been inked with L3Harris Technologies [NYSE: LHX] for the Iridium® Satellite Time and Location (STL) service. This agreement solidifies Iridium's commitment to providing cutting-edge communication solutions.

Under this extensive contract, Iridium will furnish the STL service to over thirty L3Harris-operated communication network backbone nodes across the United States, along with a similar number of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities.

L3Harris holds the reins of a comprehensive private network catering to the FAA's needs, ensuring seamless voice, data, and video communication for National Airspace System operations. The timing synchronization aspect within L3Harris' network is of paramount importance, given its critical support for various infrastructure applications. The Iridium STL service serves as a cornerstone in this network timing architecture, reducing reliance on GPS as the primary timing source.

This collaboration also incorporates state-of-the-art devices from Adtran's Oscilloquartz division, designed to receive Iridium STL signals seamlessly. These high-performance devices integrate effortlessly into the network, fulfilling nationwide timing synchronization requirements.

In today's fast-paced communication landscape, real-time demands are at an all-time high. Maintaining synchronization across distributed architectures, like database replications within data centers or between distant data centers, is critical. 

Christina Riley, Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Resilient Time and Location at Iridium, highlighted the significance of STL solutions in ensuring reliable timing synchronization across data centers. "With Iridium STL, data center managers can rely on consistent timing synchronization across their facilities," said Riley. "STL solutions offer cost-effective resiliency in critical infrastructure environments where GPS signals might be unreliable or inaccessible, thus enabling uninterrupted, high-performance operations for L3Harris and the FAA."

This announcement follows Iridium's recent acquisition of Satelles, Inc. in April 2024, further bolstering its position as a leader in secure satellite-based time and location services. For more information on timing synchronization solutions for data centers or other critical infrastructure.