MELBOURNE – Satellite operator Iridium has named Melbourne-based Beam Communications, a subsidiary of ASX-listed World Reach, as one of the first service providers for its new push-to-talk satellite communications service, claimed to be the world’s first.Beam will sell the service direct and through

resellers to customers in Australia.

Iridium PTT functions the same as terrestrial radio PTT services: every member

of the group hears a message when the speaker presses a button on their phone

to transmit – except that members of that group can be anywhere in the world.

Users of the service will need an Iridium satphone with PTT capability.

Although the commercial service is new, Iridium says the technology is

well-established. Raymond Tan, Iridium vice president and general manager,

Asia, told this writer in mid 2014: “We’ve had PTT for the last four years but

only for US defence forces. It is now a mature product so we have decided to

bring it to market.”

The heart of the services is the Iridium Command Centre, which gives

organisations the ability to define and manage the geographic coverage for each

talk group: coverage areas are created using a graphical map interface based on

Google Maps. – Stuart Corner

 Virginia-based Iridium operates a fleet of 66 satellites used for

worldwide voice and data communication from hand-held satellite phones and

other transceiver units.