The Telesat LEO network confirmed its intentions to participate in the Airbus HBCplus program, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus to integrate into the Ka-band network offerings.
We’re excited to begin this important collaboration with Airbus to ensure our channel partners can seamlessly integrate Telesat Lightspeed services into their portfolios to deliver exceptional connectivity experiences to their customers as HBCplus Managed Service Providers. – Philippe Schleret, Vice President of Aviation for Telesat
The deal calls on the companies to collaborate on integration of the HBCplus Ka-band terminal (based on ThinKom‘s Ka2517 antenna) with the Telesat Lightspeed constellation. While the plan is now more formal, the idea that the Ka2517 would work with Telesat’s LEO constellation is far from new. ThinKom and Telesat confirmed network link functionality with the Phase 1 LEO test satellite in 2019 and reiterated their commitment to that compatibility several times since that initial link.
Separately, the Ka-band service providers in the HBCplus program – currently SES and Viasat (on the legacy Inmarsat GX constellation) are offerable, Hughes Networks is moving in that direction – will now have the option to contract with Telesat to integrate that capacity into their offerings to airlines. SES has been clear that it expects to enable that with its Open Orbits platform. Viasat has been more reserved about its plans to integrate LEO into the operation, though the topic comes up from time to time. Or perhaps Telesat could go direct to airlines; it is still early in the product qualification process and will be some time until such decisions need to be made.
With the HBCplus program airlines can select the connectivity solution as a supplier-furnished, line-fit catalogue option or for retrofit on all Airbus aircraft types. The first deliveries under the HBCplus program are expected to enter service later this year.
“We are very happy to partner with Telesat,” added Tim Sommer, Head of Connected aircraft at Airbus. “The integration of the Telesat Lightspeed LEO network within the Airbus HBCplus solution will perfectly complement our current MEO & GEO offer. This partnership is a great opportunity to answer to the emerging demand for low latency connectivity, but also to contribute towards our multi orbit strategy for global coverage.”
Read more:
- ThinKom, Telesat reach LEO link milestone
- Telesat finalizes government funding for Lightspeed
- ESAs, China, and the future of inflight connectivity
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