Key Capabilities
The Iridium 9604 gives developers a simpler way to build compact IoT devices for mixed coverage environments. It combines Iridium SBD, LTE-M and GNSS in a 16 x 26 x 2.4 mm module weighing less than 3 g, with developer controlled failover between cellular and satellite. With Ground Control, you also get access to the tools that help teams move faster: online purchasing, self service airtime and device registration, developer documentation, proven APIs and Cloudloop Data for routing messages into the systems you already use.
Ordering note: The Iridium 9604 is supplied in multi-unit packs rather than as individual bare modules. Ground Control offers smaller pack sizes to support early evaluation and prototyping – email hello@groundcontrol.com to discuss your requirements.
Specification is subject to change
- Hybrid connectivity: Iridium SBD, LTE-M and GNSS in one compact module
- Smaller hardware: 16 x 26 x 2.4 mm and less than 3 g
- Simpler integration: Reduced board space and fewer separate components
- AT command support: Familiar development for existing SBD teams
- Controlled failover: Define when devices use cellular or satellite
- Built-in GNSS: Add location data to readings, alerts and updates
- Ground Control support: Online ordering, airtime, APIs and Cloudloop Data.
- Connectivity: Iridium SBD, LTE-M, GNSS
- Satellite protocol: Iridium Short Burst Data
- LTE-M technology: LTE Cat M1 half-duplex, 3GPP Releases 13 and 14
- GNSS receiver: Integrated u-blox M10
- GNSS constellations: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
- Dimensions: 16.0 x 26.0 x 2.4 mm
- Weight: <3 g
- Package: 96-pin LGA, Surface Mount Device
- Board space: 400 mm²
- Power supply 3.8 V nominal; 3.0 V to 4.5 V range
- LTE-M PSM current: 1 µA
- Satellite message size: 340 bytes MO, 270 bytes MT
- Satellite coverage: Global, pole to pole
- Serial interface: 8-wire UART, configurable as 2x 4-wire UART
- Diagnostics: USB
- GPIO: Up to 6 configurable GPIOs
- Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C
- Regulatory: FCC, ISED, CE-RED, UKCA
- Conformance: GCF, PTCRB, ITU GMPCS-MOU
We offer Short Burst Data airtime in two formats: a line rental plus pay-as-you-go option; and an annual contract option. The former is intended for development and testing; you will find that the annual contracts are more cost-effective once your project is fully operational.
Is the Iridium 9604 Right for Your Application?
Ideal for…
Choose the Iridium 9604 for compact, battery-conscious devices that need small message connectivity across mixed coverage. It’s ideal for tracking trailers, containers, portable generators and high value equipment; sending simple status updates from UAVs, autonomous platforms and mobile machinery; reporting data from remote sensors and industrial assets; and supporting safety devices for people working or travelling beyond reliable cellular coverage.
Consider Another Option if…
Choose RockBLOCK 9704 with Iridium Messaging Transport if you expect to send more than 10 KB of satellite data per month, or if your application needs to move larger payloads or aggregated gateway data. Choose RockREMOTE Mini OEM with Iridium Certus 100 if you expect to send more than 55 KB of satellite data per month, or if your application needs real time command and control, an always-on IP connection, or a more capable embedded satellite terminal.
How Your Data Moves
The Iridium 9604 gives your device more than one way to send data, but the module is only one part of the complete IoT workflow. Ground Control helps connect the rest: airtime, message routing, APIs, subscription management, usage monitoring and onward delivery into your own systems.
Cloudloop for Data Delivery
Cloudloop Data moves Iridium messages from your devices into the systems your team already uses. Messages can be decoded and routed to one or multiple destinations, including AWS SQS and S3, Microsoft Azure Service Bus and Storage, Google Cloud Pub/Sub and Cloud Storage, ThingSpeak, ThingsBoard, REST API, HTTP webhook, MQTT and email.
For 9604 deployments, this gives developers a practical way to get small satellite messages into cloud platforms, dashboards, analytics tools or customer applications, without needing to manage the underlying delivery protocols themselves.
Cloudloop Subscription Manager
Satellite IoT deployments are easier to manage when airtime, usage and subscriptions are visible in one place. Cloudloop Subscription Manager helps teams activate and manage services, monitor usage and set overage alerts so costs are easier to control as deployments grow.
This is especially useful for developer led projects that start small and scale over time. You can register devices, manage subscriptions and keep track of how data is being used across your fleet, supported by Ground Control’s long experience with Iridium airtime and SBD connectivity.
Product Comparison
Iridium 9603N |
Iridium 9604 |
Iridium 9704 |
|
|
Dimensions |
31.5 x 29.6 x 8.1 mm |
16 x 26 x 2.4 mm |
31.5 x 42 x 3.9 mm |
|
Weight |
11.4 g |
<3 g |
12 g |
|
Protocol |
Iridium SBD |
Iridium SBD + LTE-M |
Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT) |
|
Message Size |
340 bytes MO, 270 bytes MT |
340 bytes MO, 270 bytes MT |
Up to 100 KB (MO / MT) |
|
Command Interface |
AT commands |
AT commands |
JSPR (or utilize Ground Control's C and Python libraries) |
|
GNSS |
No integrated GNSS |
Integrated GNSS |
GNSS pass-through |
|
Cellular / Hybrid |
Satellite only |
Hybrid LTE-M, Iridium SBD and GNSS |
Satellite only |
|
Ground Control option |
RockBLOCK 9603 |
RockBLOCK 9604 coming soon |
RockBLOCK 9704 |
Use Cases
Asset Tracking
The Iridium 9604 is well suited to compact tracking devices for trailers, containers, generators, field equipment and other high value mobile assets. Devices can use LTE-M where coverage is available, then rely on Iridium SBD for small, critical updates beyond terrestrial networks.
UAVs and Autonomous Systems
The 9604’s small size, low weight and hybrid connectivity make it useful for UAVs, autonomous platforms and mobile machinery that need periodic status, location or health messages. For real time C2 or always-on IP connectivity, RockREMOTE UAV OEM may be a better fit.
Remote Sensor Reporting
For remote sensors sending small readings or alerts, the 9604 provides satellite-backed connectivity in a compact module. Integrated GNSS also supports applications where location and sensor data need to be reported together.
Industrial Telemetry and SCADA Alerts
The 9604 can support low data industrial telemetry, including machine status, alarms, small SCADA readings and periodic reports. LTE-M can be used where coverage exists, while Iridium SBD provides the satellite route for remote sites.
Lone Worker Safety
The combination of satellite, cellular and GNSS makes the 9604 useful for compact safety devices that need to send check-ins, alerts or location updates from areas where cellular coverage may not be reliable.
Environmental Monitoring
The 9604 is well suited to compact telemetry devices used on environmental monitor devices such as weather balloons and data buoys, where payload size, power use and reliable position reporting all matter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Iridium 9604
The Iridium 9604 is supplied as a bare module in multi-unit packs, rather than as a single individual module. Ground Control will offer smaller pack sizes to help developers start prototyping and evaluation with a lower initial quantity than Iridium’s standard DevPak. Speak to us about smaller evaluation quantities, availability and the right route for your prototype or deployment.
Yes. Ground Control is developing RockBLOCK 9604, which is expected to be available in Q4 2026. It will bring the Iridium 9604 module into our RockBLOCK ecosystem, giving developers a simpler way to prototype and deploy hybrid SBD, LTE-M and GNSS connectivity with Ground Control airtime, Cloudloop Data, documentation and APIs.
Yes. RockBLOCK 9604 will be available with an integrated patch antenna option for Iridium SBD and GNSS. This antenna will support both satellite messaging and GNSS signal reception.
An SMA version will also be available for customers who want to use an external antenna. In this case, the customer-supplied antenna will need to support both Iridium and GNSS frequencies.
LTE-M will always require a separate customer-supplied external antenna, connected via SMA.
It depends on what you want to achieve. The 9604 uses the same Iridium SBD message sizes as the 9603N, but adds LTE-M cellular connectivity and integrated GNSS in a much smaller module. It is a strong option if you want to reduce size, add cellular failover, or remove the need for a separate GNSS receiver.
Moving from 9603N to 9604 is not a simple drop-in replacement. You will need to consider antenna design carefully, as the 9604 brings together satellite, LTE-M and GNSS. However, if you do not need the cellular or GNSS functionality, the 9604 may still be worth considering as a smaller, lower cost SBD alternative.
No. The 9604 does not force automatic switching between LTE-M and Iridium SBD. Developers can define their own connectivity logic, from simple satellite failover when cellular is unavailable to more advanced routing based on location, coverage, message priority, power use or cost.
Choose Iridium Messaging Transport (IMT) if your application needs to send larger satellite messages or higher monthly data volumes. As a general guide, we usually steer customers toward RockBLOCK 9704 and Iridium Messaging Transport if they expect to send more than 10 KB of satellite data per month, or if they need to move data from multiple sensors, aggregated gateway data, compressed images or richer telemetry.
The 9604 is designed for small SBD messages, with LTE-M and GNSS added for hybrid connectivity. The 9704 is designed for larger message based satellite IoT payloads.
Start building with the Iridium 9604
Speak to our team about whether the Iridium 9604 is the right fit for your application. We can help you compare it with the 9603N and 9704, think through antenna and integration requirements, and plan how your data will move from device to Cloudloop and into your own systems.
Ground Control supports developers with Iridium hardware, airtime, self-service device management, documentation, APIs and Cloudloop Data, helping you get from first prototype to live deployment faster.