More complex satellite constellations necessitate more capable antenna solutions on aircraft and at ground stations. ThinKom, long a provider of antenna hardware for mobile connectivity, now has a multi-million dollar deal to deliver a modern gateway kit to the US Air Force’s R&D arm.
Satellite
Intelsat adds more LEO/GEO capacity with Eutelsat/OneWeb deal
Intelsat will expand its partnership with Eutelsat and OneWeb, securing additional capacity for its mobile connectivity solutions over Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific.
Viasat, Inmarsat receive provisional merger approval from UK
Should the Viasat/Inmarsat merger eventually close, the company may need to send a thank you present to the Starlink team at SpaceX. After four months of additional review, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a provisional approval to the combination, and the upstart LEO operator is cited as a major factor in the determination.
Intelsat successfully tests Stellar Blu ESA in LEO/GEO service
Looking for the future of regional jet inflight connectivity? The seas off Puerto Rico this past month were a good place to start. That’s where Intelsat just spent four weeks testing the Stellar Blu ESA connected to LEO and GEO satellites.
First Breeze plane with Viasat inflight Wi-Fi now flying
The first Breeze Airways plane with Wi-Fi on board is now flying. The A220-300 was fitted with the Viasat inflight internet service earlier this month and is now operating in beta mode as it flies within Breeze’s network.
ThinKom scores contract for conformal inflight antenna solution
It is possible to completely remove the drag factor of an inflight internet satellite antenna? While electronically steered antenna (ESA) solutions promise to further reduce protrusions on the fuselage and limit drag in their future implementations, a new military-focused design from ThinKom completely eliminates the radome bump.
Anuvu taps Telesat for MicroGEO gateways
What does it take to manage communications with some of the smallest GEO satellites in orbit? How about some really, really big parabolic antennas. When Anuvu’s first MicroGEO satellites come online later this year they’ll communicate via new 9 meter gateway antennas, managed by Telesat.
Delta confirms fleet-wide commitment to Viasat inflight internet
It has been intimated and implied for roughly two years. Now it is confirmed. Delta Air Lines expects Viasat’s inflight internet service to be active across its entire fleet by the end of next year.
Alaska Airlines picks Intelsat for E175 streaming WiFi upgrade
Alaska Airlines will offer “streaming fast” Wi-Fi on its E175 fleet, beginning in 2024. The carrier plans to upgrade those aircraft, extending its longstanding partnership with Intelsat.
Another Stellar IFC experience flying
As OneWeb moves to deliver its near-global internet services by the end of the year, another aircraft type is now flying with a test version of the Stellar Blu hardware on board.