Panasonic Avionics plans a 50% growth in its GEO satellite network capacity. Alas, the company won’t really share any details beyond that, which raises additional questions.
Low Earth Orbit
Telesat Lightspeed secures government funding for LEO launch
Telesat appears finally ready to deliver its LightSpeed LEO constellation. But is it too little, too late?
Gogo reports record service revenue, reduces forecast
Chalk up another record revenue quarter for Gogo. But the company expects the next couple years to be rough, with downward revisions on revenue, free cash flow, and other metrics.
Gilat, Satcom Direct team for OneWeb BizAv ESA
Gilat and Satcom Direct have teamed to develop an electronically steered antenna (ESA) terminal for OneWeb connectivity as part of SD’s Plane Simple antenna line, with availability expected in 2025.
Eutelsat 10B enters service
Inflight and maritime connectivity secured a boost in capacity from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean this week as Eutelsat 10B entered service.
Testing the next step for LEO-based IFC
On Monday afternoon a CRJ700 landed at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport near Broomfield, Colorado after more than four hours en route from Portland, Maine. Fortunately, no passengers found themselves enduring the “comfort” of that long ride in a little jet. But, thanks to the work happening on board, millions of travelers annually will soon have access to a better inflight Wi-Fi experience.
ThinKom Plus launches, with hybrid LEO/GEO offering
After teasing the details a bit in March, ThinKom formally launched its ThinAir Plus product line at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023, integrating an ESA into the footprint of its Ka2517 solution. The system touts multi-constellation, multi-orbit, multi-beam connectivity support. The ThinAir Plus terminal is also the first to offer concurrent, multi-band connectivity in a single package.
Hughes signs on as OneWeb partner, launches new IFC options for airlines
Hughes Network Systems is not new to the inflight internet world. But the company is getting more aggressive in its pitch to airlines. Hughes is now a global distribution partner of OneWeb’s LEO constellation services. The deal was announced this week at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023.
Stellar Blu secures Boeing line-fit agreement
Stellar Blu just secured a significant boost for its Sidewinder electronically steered antenna (ESA) platform. The company executed an Technical Services Agreement with Boeing that will see the terminal kit as an option for line-fit on the 737 MAX, 787, and 777X types, likely before the end of 2024.
Gogo picks Challenger 300 for Galileo certification pilot
Fully branded and now with multiple antenna options, Gogo is starting the certification process for its Galileo LEO inflight internet service, running on the OneWeb constellation. The company chose the Bombardier Challenger 300 series of aircraft as the first platform on which to develop the hardware and installation process. The Bombardier Challenger 300 is one […]