Iridium GO! exec® adopts Certus®100 service [Update]

The latest device Iridium GO! exec® (what a funny name !) has been available since March. It represents the first standalone device produced by Iridium to adopt the Certus®100 (¹) up to 88 Kbps download, 22 Kbps upload.

This big brother of the Iridium GO!® appeared in 2014 provides download speeds 40 times faster, but at costs that are clearly proportional.

Description

The housing, square shaped 20 cm side and heavy 1,2 kg, significantly more impressive than the Iridium GO!®, will hardly fit in the pocket of a wexed jacket ! The device has a color touchscreen for easy setup. The start-up is done by vertical flip of the antenna, such as the Iridium GO!®. It is provided with 2 USB-C ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 External Antenna Port, 1 External GPS/DataHub port. A specific SIM card is included with the device, It can be turned on and off on demand without overwriting. A built-in GPS receiver can only be used for the SOS function.

An external Certus 100, with 5 meters of non-expandable cable, and a mount kit for boats are available to order. More accessories will be available in the coming months. Note that the battery is not removable by the user, which is quite worrying.

Internet access

The Iridium GO! exec® offers speeds up to 88 Kbps (650 KB / mn) Download, thus 40 times the flow rate of the GO!®, and 22 Kbps (160 KB / mn) Upload. The device provides a secure connection to the internet thanks to a built-in session control manager and an adjustable pre-configured firewall. It supports most messaging apps, of mail, chat like WhatsApp, or social networks such as Twitter, but also custom applications using an API provided by Iridium, developers already working on Iridium GO! exec version of some popular applications for Iridium GO!®. Built-in connection manager makes it easy to use by selecting which apps to use, Prioritizing their connections and setting limits on data duration and volume to control costs.

Communications

Built-in secured Wi-Fi hotspot, the device offers multi-user access : 2 simultaneous voice calls and multiple data connections. Communications can be done remotely via Wi-Fi with smartphone and tablet featured with app ’GO exec® app (iOS/Android), Already available on the stores. It also allows you to function as a standalone device to make calls using sound micro and its built-in speaker, or launch a SOS call if the user's mobile device runs out of power. With its high-performance battery, It offers an autonomy up to 6 Talk Hours, 20 standby hours. It can even be used to directly charge a smartphone or tablet with its dedicated USB-C power output.

Downloading GRIB weather files, with a speed of up to 650 KB / minute, can easily exceed one megabyte. But be careful : No more unlimited data plan, no more question of multiplying requests ! It will be necessary to take into account the selected airtime, based on a monthly data amount (25, 50, 125 or 250 MB) not to be exceeded under penalty of painful additional costs (¹), especially if the crew is large.

Positioning

Iridium GO! exec® takes place between the GO!® original and the first Certus® 100 device adapted to boating, the SkyLink 6100 (¹).

[Update September 10 th 2024]

 

The average prices above are from several European suppliers. It is obvious that the Skylink 6100 offers much more comprehensive features than the GO! exec® : multi-network GNSS receiver, Dual-SIM satellite/cellular auto-switched, Bluetooth, but its price is significantly higher and its airtimes nearly double those of the GO! exec®.

In addition, This remains without considering the evolution of StarLink offers, still in the active testing phase thanks to the thousands of users who have rushed to the Roam models (Mobile), and whose conditions of use are not yet clearly stabilized. We will know more in the second half of the year, I will not fail to update this post.

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(¹) Iridium Certus 100, a step towards yachting ?
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