Inflight wifi speeds up
Viasat is a global communications company making serious inroads into the aviation market.
Richard Williams discovers why airlines are choosing its connectivity solutions
Us-based Viasat supplies communications services to the military, governments, businesses, airlines and home internet users. In 2017 it launched ViaSat-2, the highest-capacity communications satellite in orbit today. In February it became the first satellite internet provider in the world to offer 100 Mbps download speeds to consumers.
Inflight, Viasat’s satellite capabilities enable it to offer high-speed internet. Customers such as JetBlue, United Airlines, American Airlines and Qantas use the service, which is said to provide an on-the-ground internet experience to passengers.
In Europe, Finnair, Icelandair and EL AL Israel Airlines have all partnered with Viasat and SAS officially launched its high-speed wifi service in May offering the signature 12 Mbps service.
The ViaSat-2 service is now rolling out to home users, and Don Buchman, vp and general manager, commercial aviation, says: “ViaSat-2 for commercial airlines is expected to launch in summer 2018. The service will be available across North and Central America, the Caribbean, a portion of northern South America as well as the primary aeronautical and maritime routes across the Atlantic Ocean.”
Viasat also acts as an internet service provider (ISP) to airlines. In February it announced it had taken over from Thales the contract for the equipping of 73 of United's aircraft, B737MAXs plus others, with its IFEC system.
It is also linefitting both the American B737 MAX aircraft and the EL AL’ s
B787 Dreamliners. The process is well underway. It is also undertaking a retrofit installation programme with JetBlue for next-generation hardware (antennas, modems and Wireless Access Points), which Buchman says is on schedule.
In Australia, Qantas has adopted Viasat’s ‘full, fast and free’ strategy (full service, fast internet, free to user) on the 85 aircraft of its domestic fleet.
As technology has improved, inflight connectivity has developed more uses for both critical and non-critical communications.
The appetite for more bandwidth is increasing at an exponential rate to support internet access and applications such as streaming video, web browsing, aircraft safety, crew, operations and pilot communications.
In 2020, Viasat expects to launch the ViaSat-3 class of satellites, which will offer more than 1 Terabit per second (1 Tbps) of total network capacity. The three ViaSat-3 class satellites are planned to provide full global coverage, giving more airlines the opportunity to offer seamless around-the world connectivity, whether flying London-to-Paris or
Viasat promotes a 'full, fast and free' connectivity strategy