The paperwork is finally submitted: India is ready to get online in the sky. The Ministry of Communications issued the Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018 in an official filing on 14 December 2018, codifying the rules around delivery of mobile internet services on aircraft and ships. With the new rules defined service providers and airlines can finally move forward with fitting the planes. So, who will be first??
Inmarsat
Inmarsat wins in UK, Viasat vows to continue legal battle over EAN
Inmarsat scored another legal victory for its EAN service but Viasat refuses to give up the fight. Expect plenty more wrangling as this drama continues to unfold.
Inmarsat signs on as first commercial launch customer for MHI’s H3 rocket
Inmarsat secured a new way into space. The company signed on with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the first commercial customer for the H3 launch vehicle. The launch is expected in 2022(ish).
GX installation begins for Citilink Indonesia
The first Citilink Indonesia inflight wifi connectivity installation is underway. Work to add the Inmarsat GX Aviation kit to the aircraft began recently on the first of 50 A320s contracted to receive the system. The implementation is being overseen by Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), and Indonesian wireless technology provider.
Avianca launches Inmarsat GX with free trial program
The first two aircraft in Latin America with Inmarsat’s GX Aviation inflight connectivity solution are now online. Avianca officially inaugurated the service this week, launching a two month trial period where passengers can connect for free while in flight.
Shipping ATG out to sea
Air-to-ground connectivity networks do not work over water. The word ground is right there in the name. Not ocean, not sea. Ground. And yet, Deutsche Telekom has its eyes on changing the rules of ATG networking, bringing the technology to some overwater flights to further support Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) operations. The idea might not be as crazy as it sounds.
PaxEx Premium: Shipping ATG out to sea
Air-to-ground connectivity networks do not work over water. The word ground is right there in the name. Not ocean, not sea. Ground. And yet, Deutsche Telekom has its eyes on changing the rules of ATG networking, bringing the technology to some overwater flights to further support Inmarsat's European Aviation Network (EAN) operations. The idea might not be as crazy as it sounds.
Digging in to Global Connectivity Revenues
A pair of recent earnings reports left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
Honeywell Aerospace signs on as Inmarsat GX Aviation reseller
Honeywell Aerospace is no longer just the manufacturer of the JetWave hardware for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation offering. The company now is a reseller of the service as well. The deal adds another VAR to Inmarsat’s global network and comes on the heels of the deal bringing Panasonic Avionics on board just weeks ago.
PaxEx Premium: Digging in to Global Connectivity Revenues
A pair of earnings reports last week left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.