Iridium Communications announced an ultra-low bandwidth video transmission technology from a new Value-Added Developer , VideoSoft Global. Running over the Iridium Certus^® service, Videosoft’s FireLight solution enables the live transmission of video from as low as 4 Kbps to and from anywhere in the world

The solution supports secure live video, audio and data delivery for viewing, command and control, and processing in real-time for a variety of applications. Government entities can use it for security and surveillance; the maritime and aviation industries for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) video delivery from manned and unmanned vessels and aircraft; and land-based users for operations at fixed sites or on-the-move around the globe. The compression and transmission of live, bandwidth-efficient video over the Iridium^® network also supports IoT applications, disaster response efforts and transportation and critical infrastructure monitoring.

“Traditional live video transmission requires a significant amount of bandwidth and can be costly to users. FireLight’s capability to support live video transmission over Iridium Certus from as low as 4 Kbps opens the door for countless critical applications,” says Bryan Hartin, Executive Vice President, Iridium. “With the addition of VideoSoft’s video compression technology, cost-effective, weather-resilient and reliable video transmission everywhere in the world is now another value-added service available for our customers.”

“Videosoft is delighted to bring the capabilities of ultra-low bandwidth video to Iridium and its user base – working together to provide the very best in performance of network and application, to deliver real world benefits to customers,” adds Stewart McCone, CEO, Videosoft. “Our FireLight solution is a real enabler of video applications previously thought not possible; it’s a true game changer.”

FireLight is compatible with a wide variety of Iridium and Iridium Connected^® satellite terminals built to operate using the Iridium Certus 100, 200 or 700 service. Iridium Certus is the world’s most advanced L-band satellite service platform, offering the flexibility to scale device speeds, sizes and power requirements both up and down based on the needs of the end-user. Beyond serving solely as a connectivity solution, Iridium Certus provides a platform for Iridium’s partners to develop specialized broadband, midband and narrowband applications to connect people and assets.