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Aircraft Internet Possibilities Widened by Ka-Band

April 7, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Aircraft Internet to Go Beyond Passenger CommunicationsExpanding communications bandwidth may soon broaden the horizons for aircraft internet that pass way beyond passenger connectivity. With increasing computer technology, greater bandwidth and storage capacity, the ability for aircraft to use data sharing and facilitate decision-making with web-based applications brings it all a step closer.

Inmarsat, a British satellite network operator, is a huge name already in aviation, using the far-reaching capabilities of the network for aircraft communications in L-band services. Honeywell is currently working with Inmarsat on the development of the avionics for the new generation of Global Xpress satellites that will operate in Ka-band. Ka-band will bring faster data rates and widen the possibilities for streaming and allowing operators to think ahead of passenger communications.

Honeywell have completed the critical design reviews for Global Xpress and will begin testing this month. The first of three Inmarsat-5 satellites was launched late last year and the rest are expected to be in place by early next year.

European Certifications for Gogo’s Aircell In-flight Entertainment

March 26, 2014
Business Aviation News
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In-Flight Entertainment via Inmarsat SwiftBroadbandGogo company, Aircell are pleased to announce EASA certification for the installation of their in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems for Bombardier Challenger 300 business aircraft.

EASA has awarded Supplemental Type Certificates (STC’s) for their Aviator 300 and UCS 5000 systems. Aviator 400 brings Internet, email and voice applications for both passengers and crew using Inmarsat SwiftBroadband.

UCS 5000, introduced in October last year, gives the industry the first all-in-one router and media server and offers passengers seamless access to in-flight entertainment plus brings router functionality in one box. Passengers will have access to Gogo Vision; an IFE service with a comprehensive library of on-demand movies and TV, in addition to news, weather updates and flight information.

Honeywell & Inmarsat Finalize Avionics for GX Aviation

February 9, 2014
Business Aviation News
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GX Avionics & Inmarsat Satellite Communications SolutionsIt has recently been announced that the Critical Design Review (CDR) has been completed by Honeywell and Inmarsat for the avionics of GX Aviation.

The launch of GX Aviation, scheduled for 2015, will bring in-flight connection speeds equivalent to those on the ground, as promised by both Honeywell and ARINC, who signed an agreement in October. The agreement is expected to provide Inmarsat’s GX Aviation to the business aviation sector.

Currently, GX Aviation uses Ka-band satellites, which offers the high-speed connections. After the agreement was signed in October, Inmarsat and Honeywell announced three new satellites planned for the Global Xpress network, the first of which was launched in December last year.

Miranda Mills, Inmarsat Aviation president is confident that the GX Aviation program and the Honeywell avionics will be ready for the service launch in 2015, she said ‘A comprehensive team from both Inmarsat and Honeywell has completed its analysis of every aspect of Honeywell’s satcom system to ensure it meets all our design criteria.’

Business Aviation Services Growth Takes Gogo to Larger Premises

February 3, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other Providers of Business Aviation ServicesConsiderable growth in the business aviation services sector has been highlighted by the announcement that Gogo plans to relocate its business aviation division, Aircell, to a larger facility in Broomfield, CO, later this year.

Aircell provides business aviation services, including in-flight entertainment and connectivity to private jet aircraft. With almost 200 employees, and plans to create more jobs, the company expect further growth over the next few years and hope that the new facility, housing more than double the space that they currently occupy, will suit their future expansion needs.

The business aviation services sector has experienced a surge in recent times, largely due to the competitive demands of the modern executive traveller. It is expected to offer seamless connectivity during the entire flight and with aircraft covering greater distances, it has been necessary for business operators to step up to the challenges of continuous connectivity.

Business aviation services providers, such as ARINC Direct, bring seamless connectivity to their customers with a unique partnership of Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications networks. This partnership offers truly global coverage, even when traversing oceanic expanses and Polar Regions.

As demands continue to grow, the business aviation services sector is expected to become more and more competitive and will give rise to further expansion as the year passes. There are no visible signs of business slowing, and as regulatory conditions continue to add to the pressure, it is set to be an interesting year for business aviation services.

JetBlue Sign Aviation Technical for In-Flight Wifi

September 6, 2013
Business Aviation News
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in flight wifiAviation Technical, Washington-based providers have been awarded the contract by New York-based low cost airline, JetBlue to install in-flight Wifi technology on their fleet of 130 Airbus A320 aircraft.  To installations are expected to near completion by the end of 2014.

Designed by LiveTV, who will give training and technical support to Aviation Technical Services, the technology will provide Ka-band connectivity.

JetBlue’s brand for the in-flight wifi is called ‘Fly-Fi’ and will use satellite networks for connectivity, rather than the more common Ku-band provision, which uses ground-based stations.  This will give faster and more reliable connection.

The Ka-band operates within a higher bandwidth and offering eight times more than the Ku-band, which is also more highly congested.

Other in-flight wifi providers, such as ARINC, use Iridium and Inmarsat satellite networks to provide a seamless global connectivity for their customers within the Ka-band with SwiftBroadband and their CabinConnect solutions.

Fast UK In-Flight WiFi Possible by 2014

August 20, 2013
Business Aviation News
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in flight wifiLast week, the UK’s OFCOM began a deliberation into the possibility of the authorisation of the use of ESOMPs to enable in-flight wifi with speeds capable of streaming content from sites such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

If the proposed license of a new satellite system is approved, the connections, up to 10 times faster than current in-flight wifi could be available in the air, on the ground within the UK rail networks and on-board ships as soon as 2014.

In the U.S. the FCC have already authorised the use of Earth Stations on Mobile Platforms (Sumps) which are the key to enabling the fast connections on a global scale.

It is unclear, as yet, just how many of the British-owned airlines will actually use the technology, given the inevitability of high costs.  Upgrades to equipment would be needed and some airlines are reluctant to commit at this stage, as users on-board may be dismissive of the high prices, preferring to remain connected with the 3 or 4G mobile option.

ARINC, U.S. based industry-leading passenger communications providers offer, under the US regulations, next-generation passenger connectivity solutions for commercial and business jet aircraft with CabinConnect.

Aviation Satellite Communications Amps Order for Comtech

August 8, 2013
Business Aviation News
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It was recently announced that Comtech PST Corp has received orders to the tune of $1.9 million for high-powered amplifiers.  The orders are reported to be from a leading satellite communications systems and electronics provider, although the source has not been named yet.

Passenger Communications - Satellite Communications

The amps form part of SATCOM systems for air-to-satellite-to-ground aviation satellite communications and allow access to Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband, Aero-H and Aero-I services.  Access to the satellite communications network gives multi-channel voice, data and fax capabilities for commercial and business aviation satellite communications in both flight deck and cabin areas of the aircraft.

Fred Kornberg, CEO and President of Comtech Telecommunications Corporation, said, “These orders are ongoing evidence of our capabilities in delivering innovative commercial aircraft amplifier products as well as the robust demand of commercial aerospace market. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with this premier supplier of aviation satellite communications systems.”

SATCOM systems onboard aircraft can offer airlines great flexibility when it comes to satellite communications services.  On the flight deck and cabin alike, the growing demand for seamless, high quality communications drives a need for reliability.

Aviation satellite communications service providers, such as ARINC, strive to continually stay ahead, furnishing the industry with innovative solutions for flight operations and passenger communications.

Passenger Demand Grows for In-Flight Wifi in the Social Media Explosion

July 5, 2013
Business Aviation News
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in-flight wifiIt looks like the days of turning off our mobile devices on aircraft could one day be behind us as the demand grows for passenger in-flight wifi connectivity.  Many passengers now want to tweet their journey or update Facebook statuses as they fly, posting photos of the clouds, their meals or cities from the air.  Social networking, as we all know, is huge and in-flight wifi is a necessary fuel for that fire.

Recent surveys show that a quarter of British holidaying passengers out of 5,000 believe that free in-flight wifi is not only necessary, but a human right, according to HolidayExtras, although it is also recorded that 84% of these passengers are unwilling to pay the current high rates charged for in-flight wifi.

Now that the US FAA declared the use of the new models of mobile phones and device safe to use in ‘airplane mode,’ the floodgates are open in terms of demand for cheaper, faster in-flight wifi connectivity and this leaves many airlines thinking about the possibilities for revenue versus the inevitable costs involved with upgrades to their existing equipment.

Within the next few years, Inmarsat, the British satellite communications network, will be launching three new satellites, which will give global connectivity possibilities and could spell faster and cheaper in-flight wifi, but, until then, with only four commercial airlines currently offering free in-flight wifi, competition is slim and the cost implications for the passenger still high.

While business passengers enjoy the versatility of in-flight wifi, it looks to be a while before the demand is met for the average holidaymaker.

Air France Lift Restrictions on In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)

July 3, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Good news for Air France travellers, who no longer have to wait for the all-clear and can now use the in-flight entertainment (IFE) as soon as they take their seats.

This relaxation of the IFE restrictions follows BA’s decision last year to let long-haul passengers watch their IFE screens straightaway.  After months of intense negotiations with the Civil Aviation Authority, BA became the first British carrier to do so.

IFE has come a long way over the past few decades; from simple in-flight movie provision to personal touch screen technology and internet connectivity.  IFE connectivity providers work hard to stay ahead of the game when it comes to innovation and continually update their services, products and solutions for airlines to maximize efficiency, cost-effectivity and enhance the experience of the passenger.

IFE providers, such as ARINC, have over eight decades of industry experience and are able to offer seamless connections and a vast range of solutions for both cabin and flight deck.

kevbo1983 / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

GX Aviation Broadband Equipment Launched by Inmarsat

April 12, 2013
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Cabin ConnectA new Ka-Band delivered high-speed broadband service was on display for the first time for visitors to the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Expo last week.  GX Aviation, launched by Inmarsat, will be supported by new avionics developed by Honeywell and will be commercially available in early 2015.

Jack Jacobs, Vice President of Marketing Product and Management, Honeywell Aerospace said: “The consumer demand for fast, global in-flight connectivity continues to grow at a monumental rate. People want to be connected no matter where they are and have the same Internet experience that they have at home.”

The world-leading satellite communications company, Inmarsat, plans to change the face of in-flight connectivity with GX Aviation, designed to provide throughputs of up to 50Mbps with uninterrupted global broadband coverage, offering like-for-like, ground-based comparative connectivity.

“The world is changing and airlines are seeking to keep up with passengers’ expectations. Our new GX service, which can be combined with our existing L-band solution, enables airlines to capitalise on already installed hardware to provide high speed broadband service with complete geographical coverage for all aircraft requirements, both in the cockpit and the cabin,” says Inmarsat’s Miranda Mills, Vice President of Aerospace.