The initial focus is on land and sea services, with aviation coming later in 2019 after Iridium receives the certification it needs to go ahead. Partners like Gogo and Thales are already waiting in the wings. Speeds, meanwhile, won't be quite so pokey in the future. Iridium plans to bump up users to 352Kbps/704Kbps service through a firmware update when it's available.

You aren't going to subscribe to Certus yourself, as it's meant more for companies and governments. However, Iridium said it's the "first new capability" from the Iridium Next program. As it is, you could still notice the difference. This might provide basic in-cabin internet access in situations where it was never an option, and could enable autonomous ships or other transportation that doesn't strictly need a crew. There are even plans for smaller receivers that could provide always-on data to drones and tracking systems on endangered animals.