Viasat is one step closer to bringing significantly more Ka-band capacity to the Americas. The new ViaSat-2 satellite successfully reached its orbital slot and is moving through the testing phase, with EIS still projected for February 2018.
Ka-band
PR: ViaSat Signs Satcom Direct as First Value-Added Reseller for its High-Speed Ka-band In-flight Internet Service
ViaSat and Satcom Direct now have another option available for inflight connectivity in the BizAv market. That’s good news for a few reasons.
Which 747-8 is next up for high-speed wifi?
High speed internet service is coming to the 747-8i in 2018. Lufthansa Technik won the contract to install the kit, but the airline customer was not named. Here are the likely candidates for such.
Next-Gen personalization flying with Singapore Airlines and Panasonic
The past few weeks have been huge for premium cabin redesign news. Singapore Airlines and Emirates are not pulling any punches in their first class suite redesigns. Alas, those products are mostly irrelevant for most travelers. A first class suite doesn’t matter for the 99%+ of consumers. They’re not a factor for business travelers and […]
Emirates Takes Inmarsat GX for 777X Connectivity
Emirates is adding a new inflight connectivity provider to its portfolio, hoping to up the speeds available to passengers on the 777X fleet when it enters service in 2020.
ViaSat, JetBlue tighten ties, push Thales out on Connectivity
JetBlue is tweaking its inflight connectivity plans, securing its relationship with ViaSat while pushing Thales out as an integrator. That's mostly good news, unless you're Thales.
Air New Zealand gets its GX on
Air New Zealand is finally sporting an inflight connectivity radome on one of its aircraft. Ship ZK-OKS, a 777-300ER, returned to service last week after a month in Singapore where the Inmarsat Global Xpress (“GX”) kit was installed. The carrier announced last December that it will fit its entire fleet with the GX service.
XTS is dead. Long live XTS. Panasonic sees "radical change" coming
Has the LEO/MEO revolution spooked Panasonic Avionics? "Radical change" is coming according to VP Global Sales David Bruner, putting the company's 6-payload XTS Ku-band network on a new track.
Global Eagle’s Ka connectivity takes flight
Got Ka? That’s the question Global Eagle was asking during the recent APEX EXPO show while demonstrating the latest high-speed inflight connectivity solution it has on offer. Come along for the ride as I put the system through its paces.
Faster wifi flying on Singapore 777s
Singapore Airlines 777 fleet is finally receiving some of the promised new inflight wifi systems. The first to carry Inmarsat’s GX hardware was spotted this week in Los Angeles after completing its retrofit a couple weeks ago.