As the first airline to sign for the SpaceX Starlink inflight WiFi solution, JSX also expects to be the first airline to activate the service. Speaking at the Future Travel Experience conference in Las Vegas this week, CEO Alex Wilcox unveiled a few additional details about plans for the service.
Low Earth Orbit
Intelsat goes multi-orbit with OneWeb LEO option for airlines
Commercial airlines will soon have another option for in-flight connectivity (IFC) delivered via low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Intelsat secured a global distribution partnership with OneWeb, allowing for the development of a multi-orbit offering. The partnership builds on Intelsat’s extensive IFC experience and existing geo-stationary (GEO) satellite service, augmented with the OneWeb LEO constellation.
Gogo sees 5G chip issues delaying deployment
Corporate jets are back in the air, and they’re more connected than ever. Gogo’s Q2 results indicates a strong rebound in activity for its corporate jet market, boosting revenues. But the company’s 5G network upgrade will slip a bit more owing to chip shortages.
airBaltic teases Starlink in-flight internet consideration
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.
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.