Ground Control has become the first Iridium partner to bring a certified Iridium Certus 9704 device to market.

The ruggedised RockBlock Pro satellite IoT gateway is powered by the Iridium Certus 9704 module and Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT). It provides faster throughput, larger message capacity and more power efficiency than previous RockBlock devices, and is suitable for mission-critical remote applications.

RockBlock Pro uses the Iridium 9704 module to send bi-directional messages from 25byte up to 100kbyte, accommodating aggregated sensor data, images and audio clips with typical end-to-cloud latency under ten seconds. Compared with the Iridium 9602/9603 module, the 9704 offers up to an 83% reduction in idle power consumption, making it power efficient.

Engineered for harsh outdoor and industrial environments, the IP66 rated terminal has options for use with a built-in or external antenna. It supports the legacy Iridium AT command set, enabling drop-in upgrades for existing SBD deployments without changes to host firmware or developer toolchains.

For end-to-end message handling, it integrates tightly with Cloudloop Data, which delivers messages via direct cloud-platform integrations such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, or HTTP webhooks, MQTT and email. Built-in GNSS, Bluetooth and configurable digital IO further expand its utility across telemetry, tracking, environmental monitoring and autonomous applications.

“RockBlock Pro redefines the satellite IoT gateway category by bringing together power efficiency, rugged design and data capacity in a compact footprint, unlocking smarter, more responsive systems in the world’s most remote places,” said Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control. “As the first partner to bring a certified Iridium Certus 9704 product to market, we’re proud to lead the next chapter of global IoT.”

Tim Last, executive vice president at Iridium (www.iridium.com), added: “The Iridium Certus 9704 packs a lot of power in a compact module, making it ideal for IoT applications that require real-time data analysis, analytics and automated decision-making. Ground Control has been a trusted Iridium partner for many years, with a proven track record of delivering high quality developer hardware built on Iridium technology. We’re excited to see them leading the way with innovations that bring high performance satellite IoT connectivity to the most remote parts of the world.”

RockBlock Pro (groundcontrol.com/product/rockblock-pro) is open for early access inquiries, with the initial production run in May, and full production from July 2025.

Bringing together three internationally respected connectivity brands – UK-based Wireless Innovation and Rock Seven, and US-based Ground Control – Ground Control Technologies connects people and things through satellite and cellular technology, with a focus on supporting organisations who need to connect with hard to reach, far-flung locations, from wind farms and fishing fleets to remote forestry workers and more.

Ground Control (groundcontrol.com) designs and builds its own hardware covering the entire spectrum of connectivity requirements, with manufacturing facilities in the UK and the USA.