Viasat‘s European Aviation Network (EAN) now offers better service over Serbia. Activation of ground stations, delivering cellular-based connectivity, significantly boost the available inflight bandwidth while also reducing network latency for the IFC program.
This expansion is a testament to our continued investment in the European Aviation Network and our long-term commitment to our airline partners and the European aviation market. – Don Buchman, President, Viasat Aviation
The additional towers, deployed and managed by Deutsche Telekom, deliver the improved network performance to a few dozen flights daily, serving both Aegean Airlines and British Airways’ installed fleets. The system could also potentially provide coverage to aircraft from the Middle East as part of the roaming agreement between Viasat and Skyfive.
It is also worth noting that, despite Viasat and Deutsche Telekom extending their service contract for the EAN tower infrastructure in 2023 questions remain about the future of the platform. The EU-wide license for the spectrum is up for renewal, and the Lufthansa Group’s planned installation seems likely to stall quickly as that carrier shifts to its Starlink contract. IAG will also shift fleet-wide to Starlink, meaning near-term EAN deinstalls for British Airways. Perhaps not for a couple years, but the shift is coming.
Clearly optimism remains about the network, at least in some quarters.
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