Iridium wins DOT contract for positioning services with T-Mobile partnership

Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation for a contract through its Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Action Plan Rapid Phase Award II to support deployment of Iridium PNT services.

The satellite communications company is partnering with T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) to launch live-site activations across the United States, delivering 5G network complementary timing synchronization to strengthen network resilience.

Under the contract, T-Mobile will expand its installation of Iridium PNT receivers to 90 additional live 5G network sites in geographically diverse locations. The technology aims to protect against GPS disruptions that can cause downtime and compromise data integrity and performance of 5G networks, which require precise timing coordination.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's CPNT Action Plan evaluates commercially available CPNT technologies to strengthen PNT resilience and enhance safety of critical infrastructure. T-Mobile will also perform nominal and adverse user equipment exercises at its testing range as part of the program.

"It is essential for the U.S. to strengthen the resilience of our 5G wireless networks and other critical infrastructure that relies on PNT," said Dr. Michael O'Connor, executive vice president, PNT, Iridium.

Iridium states its PNT signals provide sub-100-nanosecond accuracy and are secured using cryptographic techniques. The company claims its signals are 1,000 times stronger than GNSS systems like GPS and work inside buildings without requiring an outdoor antenna. The service operates through Iridium's low-Earth orbit satellite constellation.

Iridium acquired Satelles and its positioning, navigation, and timing service in 2024. The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

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