In what the company says is an industry first, Iridium Communications IRDM 0.00%↑ has launched a dedicated, miniature application-specific circuit (ASIC) to aid in the security of GPS and other GNSS devices against jamming, spoofing and timing interruptions. The device, called Iridium PNT ASIC, will deliver pole-to-pole positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data.
The company says PNT ASIC, which will be available in mid-2026, will provide a resilient alternative to traditional GNSS, offering protection against spoofing and jamming for consumer, industrial, and government applications. “”This is a first. To provide this type of capability on a global basis has never been done before,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch, in a statement. “The size, low cost, and scalability of this solution to protect GPS is a major breakthrough.”
The company, which says its network is 1,000 times more powerful than GPS, cited high-profile events like the September 2025 jamming of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen‘s aircraft navigation system and a malfunction of GNSS systems in the waters outside of Qatar—as market drivers for alternative PNT technology. Iridium showcased the ASIC’s capabilities during last month’s Jammertest.
“The market for alternative PNT solutions is shifting rapidly toward compact, integrated technologies,” said Mike O’Connor, Iridium executive vice president, PNT, in a statement.
Iridium has strengthened its location technology market position in the past year by not only buying Satelles for $115 million, but making the company’s Satellite Time and Location service part of its product line. STL, an alternative PNT solution that is expected to generate more than $100 million a year by 2030, is being sold by Iridium’s partners in parts of Europe and Asia Pacific. The STL service is available at more than 36 L3Harris-operated LHX 0.00%↑ facilities that support Federal Aviation Administration facilities in the United States.
 to aid in the security of GPS and other GNSS devices against jamming, spoofing and timing interruptions.){kind=link}