An emerging provider of inflight connectivity for business aviation is not listed as an exhibitor at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva from May 28-30. However, its presence will be felt strongly as it competes from low Earth orbit, highlighting the shift in the market dynamics.
An upstart inflight connectivity provider for business aviation is not listed as an exhibitor at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva from May 28-30. However, it will still make a significant impact on the industry, leveraging its capabilities from low Earth orbit to overshadow the competition.
Competing connectivity providers like Gogo Business Aviation, Satcom Direct, and Viasat are innovating with their own electronically steered antennas, aiming to replace bulkier mechanically steered systems.
Gogo, in collaboration with Hughes Network Systems, is preparing FDX and smaller HDX flat-panel electronically steered antennas to link up with the Eutelsat OneWeb constellation, which comprises over 630 LEO satellites positioned 1,200 km (745 mi) above Earth—twice as high as Starlink's satellites at 550 km. In April, Gogo announced a partnership with Germany’s Atlas Air Group to develop the first European supplemental type certificates (STC) for installing the HDX antenna on the Embraer Phenom 300 and Cessna CitationJets.
At EBACE 2024, Satcom Direct revealed that Avcon Jet from Austria is the inaugural customer for the newest addition to its Plane Simple series—a flat-panel, fuselage-mounted electronically steered antenna. This antenna is designed to connect with the Eutelsat OneWeb constellation. Viasat, on the other hand, has announced its development of flat-panel electronically steered antennas at its Lausanne, Switzerland center of excellence. These antennas can connect to satellites in various orbits, as demonstrated on a Cessna Citation in 2021.
Initial assessments of Starlink's Ku-band service highlight its impressive performance, with operators reporting that it surpasses expectations. The advertised download speeds of over 200 MBps and upload speeds exceeding 20 MBps are reportedly conservative, outperforming Ku-/Ka-band services facilitated by higher-altitude geostationary (GEO) satellites in terms of both speed and latency. Furthermore, Starlink stands out for its lower installation costs and reduced weight compared to existing Ku-/Ka-band satellite communication systems.
Despite Starlink's entry into the fiercely competitive satcom market, other providers are not backing down. Satcom Direct President Chris Moore asserts that his company has no intention of ceding ground.
Instead, they aim to cater to the diverse needs of mixed aircraft fleets by offering a comprehensive range of hardware and airtime options, rather than relying solely on a single product.
Moore, speaking to Aviation Week Network ShowNews, emphasized Satcom Direct's extensive experience in the business aviation satcom sector spanning over 25 years. He highlighted their deep understanding of the market, their clients' requirements, and the industry as a whole. Moore stressed that Satcom Direct offers tailor-made satellite connectivity services specifically designed for business aviation, rather than repurposing products from other sectors.
While Moore didn't dismiss the possibility of partnering with Starlink, he entertained the idea of integrating its low-Earth-orbit satellites into a multi-orbit network. "Regarding the integration of Starlink into our portfolio, it's something we're open to considering," he stated.
0 comments:
Post a Comment