Here's a win-win story — Iridium Satellite LLC has donated $17,000 to the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International's Silent Key Scholarship Fund which provides current and future public-safety communications professionals with training and educational opportunities. The scholarship was established in honor of deceased APCO International members. At the gathering in Kansas City, Missouri an Iridium representative presented a check to APCO President, Chris Fischer, at the 74th Annual Conference and Exhibition.
 
The $17,000 donation represents $5 for every used satellite phone turned in under the Trade-Up to Iridium program theme “Reliability to the Rescue”. So far, Iridium has had a total of 3,400 new activations since the program was launched in January which offers pricing incentives for North American customers switching from competing mobile satellite services (MSS) providers to Iridium. Iridium is also donating an additional $5 for every competitor handset turned in from now until the end of the promotion on September 30, 2008.  
 
“Our donation to the Silent Key Scholarship Fund is our way of supporting the public-safety communicators’ community,” said Don Thoma, executive vice president of Marketing, Iridium. “A large percentage of the subscribers taking advantage of the Trade-Up to Iridium program are first responders involved in disaster-relief and recovery operations, who cannot afford to take chances with their communications equipment when lives are at stake. This trade-in program ensures that participating public servants have uninterrupted access to dependable MSS to support their vital operations in any place at any time.”