3GPP Release 19 Seen to Facilitate Rollout of Upcoming Iridium D2D Service; Matt Desch Quoted

A request by Iridium to make extending the functionality of narrowband internet of things for non-terrestrial networks an official part of the Work Plan for 3GPP Release 19 — set for completion by the fourth quarter of 2025 — has been approved by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project.

Iridium said Wednesday that the approval will help with the development and deployment of Iridium NTN Direct, a global 5G NB-IoT direct to device service that will work to deliver standards-based NTN communication using the company’s satellite constellation in low Earth orbit.

Iridium NTN Direct, which began development in January as Project Stardust, will work to enable device makers and mobile network operators that use 3GPP standards-based technology to provide a global LEO user experience via Iridium’s network.

“Iridium NTN Direct is an important initiative for us, and we’ve been able to pivot on an unprecedented scale and make significant progress toward providing the best service,” said Iridium CEO and 2024 Wash100 awardee Matt Desch, adding, “We’re grateful for the wide industry support of our vision to expand access to Iridium’s global lifeline service by enabling it for anyone with a cellular device.”