Massively greater bandwidth. Fully dynamic allocation of coverage and capacity. Significantly quicker to manufacture and launch. These are just a few of the characteristics expected from the next generation of satellites joining the Inmarsat GX constellation. The company announced plans today for the first of the new satellites to join the network in orbit from 2023.
PaxEx
Viasat adds 18-inch Ka-band terminal to business jet offerings
Inflight connectivity provider Viasat has a new, larger antenna now available for the business aviation market. The Ka-band Global Aero Terminal (GAT-5518) offers an 18-inch, dual axis antenna for Ka-band communications covering the company’s satellites in the Americas, Europe and Australia. The kit is future-compatible with the ViaSat-3 constellation that will provide global coverage early […]
Gogo 2Ku to fly on the ACJ319neo
Late last month Airbus performed an impressive feat: It flew an A319neo for more than 16 hours as part of the certification process for the type. That same plane, the first customer frame of the A319neo, will soon be delivered to a private owner. When that happens it will also allow for the travelers on board to be online and entertained for any of its trips. Gogo announced today that it will be fitted with the 2Ku inflight connectivity solution as part of the kitting out process.
KLM kicked offline by Intelsat 29e outage
When the Intelsat 29e satellite failed last month anchor tenant Panasonic Avionics indicated that it had mitigated the loss of capacity for all customers. One airline is now suggesting the mitigation efforts were insufficient.
Air India switching to streaming, giving up on embedded IFE
Improving the passenger experience or driving a revenue boost? Why not both? Air India’s latest IFE plans hope to deliver improvements on both sides of the ledger.
SmartSky inflight wifi lives up to the promise
By the time a company is ready to run a media demo flight of a new technology the assumption is that the system will work as advertised. Still, as the SmartSky Citation Excel taxied for departure on a clear Florida morning a couple weeks ago there were questions to be answered and tests to be run. Come on board as I put the system through its paces.
American Airlines reportedly expanding IFC relationship with Viasat
A lack of global Ka-band coverage won’t stop American Airlines from expanding its Viasat inflight connectivity relationship. The pair are reported to be deploying a Ku/Ka offering on upcoming 787 deliveries.
PaxEx Premium: UON updates offerings, looks to expand install base
As the newest supplier in the inflight connectivity market Saudi Arabia's UON by Taqnia Space faces plenty of challenges. It also is arguably the most nimble and adaptable player in the game, with plenty of opportunity to tailor its offerings and business model to airline demands as it looks to grow. During a conversation at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg earlier this month CEO Abdullah Alosaimi offered up some insight on how the company intends to do exactly that.
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PaxEx Premium: Mitigating the loss of Intelsat 29e for inflight connectivity
Last week's anomaly on the Intelsat 29e satellite took the Ku-band system temporarily offline. Further details now suggest that a recovery is increasingly unlikely. While that has a short-term impact on the inflight connectivity market a deeper review suggests that the overall exposure could be mitigated relatively quickly.
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Making the best of a limited bandwidth situation
Flights mostly outside Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) terrestrial network coverage area present a special challenge of service levels and expectations. Here’s how the company is handling them in at least one scenario.