Iridium Picks Mavenir to Deliver Core Network for Global NTN Services
Iridium has selected Mavenir to deliver the core network for its upcoming Iridium NTN Direct service, a 3GPP-based platform designed to extend NB-IoT and direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity worldwide.
Mavenir will deploy its cloud-native Converged Packet Core on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support Iridium’s satellite network, Iridium NTN Direct. The system will handle NB-IoT traffic today while laying the groundwork for future D2D services, giving Iridium a flexible path to evolve toward 5G New Radio.
The deployment includes a full suite of core functions; session and user plane management, policy control, subscriber management, and messaging, backed by geo-redundant, multi-region resilience. Integration with Iridium’s existing provisioning and billing systems ensures a smooth fit with its global operations.
The deal strengthens Mavenir’s role in the emerging NTN ecosystem, showing that cloud-native core solutions can adapt between both terrestrial and satellite domains.