Iridium Communications Inc., a global leader in satellite voice and data communications, has selected Mavenir, a cloud-native network infrastructure provider, to power its Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Core. This deployment will support 3GPP-based Direct-to-Device (D2D) services and expand Iridium’s satellite Internet of Things (IoT) offerings.
Mavenir’s Cloud-Native Core on AWS
In support of Iridium NTN DirectSM, Mavenir will deliver its fully containerized, cloud-native Converged Packet Core hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS). This deployment enables Iridium to provide standards-based NTN capabilities while maintaining readiness for future D2D solutions.
Ashok Khuntia, President of Core Networks at Mavenir, said:
“By deploying our cloud-native Converged Packet Core on AWS, we’re helping Iridium deliver global NB-IoT services today. This demonstrates how Mavenir’s flexible, scalable solutions adapt to the evolving needs of satellite-driven networks.”
Comprehensive Core Network Capabilities
Mavenir’s Converged Packet Core solution includes:
- Converged Session Management Function (SMF)
- Converged User Plane Function (UPF)
- Policy Control and Subscriber Management
- Network Exposure Function (NEF)
- Messaging capabilities
All are supported by a centralized operations and analytics platform, with high availability and geo-redundancy across multiple AWS regions.
Iridium’s Vision for NTN Direct and D2D Services
Tim Last, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Iridium, emphasized the importance of this partnership:
“As we prepare to launch Iridium NTN Direct, our partnership with Mavenir will ensure a strong foundation. Whether it’s for IoT or D2D, Iridium NTN Direct will provide a truly global, reliable, and future-ready solution for MNOs, chipmakers, and consumers worldwide.”
The integration will align seamlessly with Iridium’s provisioning and billing systems, while supporting NB-IoT traffic delivery over multiple protocols including IP, UDP, TCP, and Non-IP Data Delivery (NIDD).
Path to 5G NR and Future-Ready Satellite IoT
This collaboration ensures that as Iridium evolves toward 5G New Radio (NR), it can leverage the same backend infrastructure for a smooth, low-downtime migration to D2D connectivity.
By expanding its NTN portfolio, Mavenir strengthens its position as a key enabler for satellite operators, delivering standards-compliant, cloud-native packet core solutions optimized for hybrid terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
Conclusion
The partnership between Iridium and Mavenir represents a major milestone in advancing satellite IoT and Direct-to-Device services. With Mavenir’s cloud-native core hosted on AWS, Iridium is poised to deliver global, scalable, and future-ready connectivity to enterprises, MNOs, and consumers alike.
