Iridium Awarded U.S. Department of Transportation Contract for Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services Deployment and Testing

Rhea-AI Summary

Iridium (NASDAQ: IRDM) was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation CPNT Rapid Phase Award II contract on Oct 21, 2025 to deploy and test Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing services nationwide.

Working with T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), Iridium will support live-site activations and expand installation of Iridium PNT receivers to 90 additional 5G network sites. Iridium PNT offers sub-100-nanosecond timing accuracy, cryptographic signal security, and signals claimed to be 1,000× stronger than GNSS, enabling indoor operation without outdoor antennas via its LEO satellite constellation.

Positive

• Contract award from U.S. DOT under CPNT Rapid Phase Award II
• Deployment to 90 additional 5G sites with T-Mobile
• Sub-100-nanosecond timing accuracy capability
• Signals 1,000× stronger than GNSS and work indoors

Negative

• None.

Insights

Telecom infrastructure analyst

U.S. DOT contract and T‑Mobile partnership expands Iridium PNT deployment to 90 live 5G sites, reinforcing 5G timing resilience.

Iridium gains a government-backed deployment pathway through the U.S. Department of Transportation's CPNT Action Plan award announced on October 21, 2025. The agreement funds a practical rollout and testing program with T‑Mobile to add Iridium PNT receivers at 90 additional live 5G network sites, plus indoor nominal and adverse user‑equipment exercises at T‑Mobile's testing range. The announcement cites technical attributes: sub-100‑nanosecond accuracy, cryptographic security, signals described as 1,000 times stronger than GNSS, and indoor operation without an outdoor antenna.

Operationally, this is a deployment-and-validation contract rather than a revenue figure; its business value derives from expanded commercial adoption and a visible government endorsement of the CPNT evaluation process. Key dependencies and risks stated in the release include successful site activations and the outcome of the nominal and adverse equipment tests; no performance failures or timelines beyond the testing program are disclosed. Concrete items to watch are the published results from T‑Mobile's test exercises and confirmation of the 90-site installations being completed; these monitoring items will likely surface in short-to-mid term operational updates following the testing cycle.

Iridium to join forces with T-Mobile for live-site activations throughout the United States  

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, and PNT satellite services, today announced it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for an award through its Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (CPNT) Action Plan Rapid Phase Award II to support a broad network deployment of Iridium^® PNT services. Iridium is working with T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) to launch live-site activations across the United States, which delivers state-of-the-art, 5G network complementary timing synchronization that further strengthens their network resilience and helps to ensure customers enjoy the most reliable experience possible.

As the U.S. government's civil lead for PNT, the U.S. Department of Transportation CPNT Action Plan is designed to evaluate mature and commercially available CPNT technologies in order to strengthen PNT resilience and enhance the safety of critical infrastructure, like 5G networks. Through this contract, T-Mobile will expand its installation of Iridium PNT receivers to 90 additional live 5G network sites in geographically diverse locations. Iridium PNT will help protect against GPS disruptions that cause downtime and compromise the data integrity and performance of 5G networks, which rely on coordinated, precise timing to deliver the necessary speed, capacity, and reliability of service to end-users.

"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. "Our partnership with an industry-leading company like T-Mobile underscores the proven performance of our solution and reinforces why it's the gold standard for PNT services like timing synchronization."

T-Mobile will also perform nominal and adverse user equipment exercises at its testing range. The indoor location, which includes the necessary wireless infrastructure, provides an ideal setting for DOT, Iridium, and T-Mobile to observe and record results.

Capable of sub-100-nanosecond accuracy—better than a millionth of a second—and secured using cryptographic techniques, Iridium PNT signals are 1,000 times stronger than GNSS systems like GPS and work inside buildings with no need for an outdoor antenna. The service is delivered by Iridium's low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which provides truly global weather-resilient L-band connectivity.

To learn more about Iridium PNT, visit www.iridium.com/pnt 

About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium^® is the only mobile voice, data, and PNT satellite network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations, and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. In 2024, Iridium acquired Satelles and its positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium products, services, and partner solutions, visit www.iridium.com.

Press Contact:	Investor Contact:
Jordan Hassin	Kenneth Levy
Iridium Communications Inc.	Iridium Communications Inc.
Jordan.Hassin@Iridium.com	Ken.Levy@Iridium.com
+1 (703) 287-7421	+1 (703) 287-7570

 

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SOURCE Iridium Communications Inc.

FAQ

What did Iridium (IRDM) announce on October 21, 2025 about the DOT contract?

Iridium announced a U.S. DOT CPNT Rapid Phase Award II contract to deploy and test Iridium PNT services with T-Mobile, expanding to 90 additional 5G sites.

How many 5G network sites will Iridium PNT be installed at with T-Mobile under the IRDM program?

T-Mobile will expand installation of Iridium PNT receivers to 90 additional live 5G network sites in geographically diverse locations.

What timing accuracy does Iridium PNT claim and why does it matter for 5G (IRDM)?

Iridium PNT is capable of sub-100-nanosecond accuracy, which helps 5G networks maintain coordinated timing needed for speed, capacity, and reliability.

Can Iridium PNT signals operate indoors and how are they secured (IRDM)?

Yes; Iridium PNT signals work inside buildings without an outdoor antenna and are secured using cryptographic techniques.

What role does T-Mobile (TMUS) play in Iridium's PNT deployment under the DOT award?

T-Mobile will perform live-site activations at 90 sites and conduct nominal and adverse user equipment exercises at its testing range to observe and record results.