Collection: RockBLOCK

Airtime is purchased separately from the hardware.

For RockBLOCK devices, airtime is fully self serve in Cloudloop. Once your device arrives, you can activate it, choose airtime, and start sending messages.

You can also buy SBD and IMT airtime from Ground Control for compatible devices purchased elsewhere. If you buy RockBLOCK hardware from us but want to use another airtime provider, a device unlocking fee may apply.

RockREMOTE and Certus 100 airtime is set up separately, with Cloudloop available for ongoing subscription, usage, and device management.

Head over to https://docs.groundcontrol.com/ for product specifications, integration guides, Cloudloop services, APIs, AT command references, and device-specific resources.

You'll also find product-specific code examples and libraries linked from individual products - for example, our open source C and Python libraries created for the RockBLOCK 9704.

Cloudloop is Ground Control’s satellite IoT platform for managing devices, airtime, subscriptions, usage, and data routing.

For RockBLOCK devices, Cloudloop provides a self serve way to activate devices, buy and manage airtime, route messages, and connect your application using APIs and developer docs.

For RockREMOTE and Certus 100 devices, airtime setup is handled separately, but Cloudloop can still be used for remote device management, subscription management, usage monitoring, and other platform services.

Iridium Short Burst Data, or SBD, allows you to send 270 bytes of data to the device, and transmit 340 bytes of data from the device.

Iridium Messaging Transport, or IMT, allows you to send or receive up to 100 KB per message, however, there is a minimum billing session of 500 bytes, so we recommend setting your max queue size to 500 bytes where practical; this will ensure messages are transmitted as economically as possible.

For both, the round trip time for data is c. 10-15 seconds, with a good view of the sky.

Choose RockBLOCK 9603 if your application fits low data Iridium SBD messaging - we generally suggest this option if you're sending < 10 KB of data per month.

Choose RockBLOCK 9704 if you need larger IMT payloads up to 100 KB, and/or you're sending between 10 - 55 KB of data per month. Choose RockBLOCK Pro or Pro OEM if you want IMT with more of the integration work already handled.

Need more info before making a decision? Email hello@groundcontrol.com to be connected with one of our experienced team to discuss your specific requirements, and get a tailored recommendation.