Forget detailed RFP cycles or convoluted consulting agreements. When it comes to considering SpaceX’s Starlink as a potential in-flight internet service provider airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss took to Twitter.
LEO
Eutelsat, OneWeb to merge in LEO/GEO push
The next generation of the OneWeb constellation is now funded. Eutelsat will divert its dividend payments for the next two years to help cover the cost of building and launching the expanded low earth orbit constellation as part of a merger deal between the two companies announced on Tuesday. v
Dash 8 adds IFE/C with Starlink option
In-flight WiFi connectivity is coming to the turboprop market. De Havilland Aircraft announced a series of enhancements to its Dash 8-400 offering, including integration of a Starlink in-flight internet kit on board.
True global coverage: Starlink expects inter-satellite links fully online by Q1 ’23
Key to Starlink’s expansion in to the maritime and aviation mobility markets is the ability to deliver service off-shore. And in less than a year the company expects to have enough in orbit to be able to deliver coverage anywhere on earth.
SpaceX secures mobility rights from FCC
SpaceX can now deliver its satellite-based internet service to “Earth Stations in Motion,” paving the way for the network to go live on airplanes, ships, and other moving vehicles. The FCC ruling is a major step forward for Starlink’s consumer and enterprise services, including plans to activate service on commercial aircraft later this year.
Slowing their ESA roll
Electronically steered antennae (ESAs) are coming to commercial and business aviation. But not everyone is in a hurry to get there. Two companies with ESA products on their roadmap took a step back focusing on existing, proven technology platforms instead.
In-flight connectivity’s next major hurdle: Smaller planes
More than a thousand larger regional jets fly across North America. All of them deliver a sub-par inflight WiFi experience. But that could soon change, as multiple airlines move to upgrade the systems on board over the next few years.
Air Canada selects Intelsat 2Ku for A321 internet service
Air Canada’s A321 fleet will soon fly with the Intelsat 2Ku in-flight internet solution. Under the agreement the carrier will upgrade its offering for 15 existing aircraft, while also taking 15 new deliveries with the system installed from the Airbus factory in Hamburg.
Starlink Scuttlebutt: Skepticism and Support
Nearly every conversation about in-flight connectivity at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2022 in Hamburg this week includes mention of the SpaceX Starlink offering. Company executives are wandering the show floor carrying an antenna panel that they hope will soon be certified to fly, while airlines and competitors alike debate the unique path the company has chosen for nearly every facet of the offering.
Gogo grabs Hughes ESA exclusivity for BizAv OneWeb service
When Hughes Network Systems delivers its new electronically steered antenna (ESA) for connectivity via the OneWeb low earth orbit satellite constellation Gogo will be the only buyer for the business aviation market. The companies announced an exclusivity deal for the kit as part of a 10-year agreement.