Pole Star Global supports Iridium Certus05 June 2025

Ross Martin, managing director for shipping & offshore, at Pole Star Global

Pole Star Global has reportedly become first maritime intelligence provider to offer full compatibility and operational support for Iridium Certus, marking a new era of robust, global maritime connectivity.

As the first maritime intelligence provider to integrate Iridium Certus services via the Lars Thrane LT-4200S terminal and future terminals, Polestar Global enables streamlined support for Long-Range Identification & Tracking (LRIT), Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), and Vessel Tracking through a single, versatile platform.

This milestone further reinforces Pole Star’s mission to enhance maritime safety, efficiency, compliance, and transparency with the most reliable and future-ready communication technologies available today.

“By integrating Iridium Certus into our global tracking and compliance framework, we’re delivering unprecedented flexibility and resilience to our customers operating in every ocean,” said Ross Martin, managing director for shipping & offshore, at Pole Star Global.

“This is especially critical for operators in high-risk zones or bandwidth-challenged environments where traditional satellite coverage falls short.”

“Pole Star Global continues to drive innovation and provide their customers with cutting-edge solutions that enhance operations at sea,” says Wouter Deknopper, vice president and general manager of maritime, at Iridium.

“With Iridium Certus integrated into Pole Star’s leading global tracking and compliance framework, the modern mariner can now benefit from a single solution that provides a suite of essential, reliable, and truly global connectivity services.”

Why this matters for ship operators?

Iridium Certus GMDSS is the only truly global satellite-based GMDSS solution, now offering a single terminal for:

  • Distress Alerting
  • Safety Voice & MSI
  • LRIT & SSAS compliance
  • Broadband and mid-band data for commercial communications

The LT-4200S terminal, developed by Lars Thrane and recently awarded the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) Wheelmark, ensures regulatory compliance under SOLAS, while reducing onboard equipment and operational costs.

In addition to the Lars Thrane, other Iridium Certus GMDSS terminals will be coming to market over the next 10 months from Cobham, Intellian and Thales. These terminals will also be able to benefit from Polestar’s LRIT, SSAS and vessel tracking.

Pole Star’s seamless support enables mariners to monitor vessel movements globally via real-time LRIT, activate SSAS reliably, irrespective of ocean region, and leverage commercial tracking for operational insights and risk mitigation

With Iridium Certus now powering Pole Star’s tracking and alerting capabilities, fleets benefit from global coverage (including polar regions), faster, weather-resilient data links for real-time operations, and enhanced cyber and physical safety infrastructure.

Justin Burns

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