Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX service is set to bring unprecedented inflight connectivity rates of up to 50MB per second to the first paying business aviation customers this year, following an anticipated wave of supplemental type certificates (STCs) for a variety of aircraft applications. The most recent breakthrough was Bombardier’s STC in March to install the Honeywell JetWave-based system on its Global family of aircraft, while Rockwell Collins announced here at EBACE that it had validated the performance of Jet ConneX, which forms part of its ArincDirect services.
The second half of the year is expected to see STCs for other mainstream business aircraft, such as the Gulfstream G450 and G550, as well as for the Dassault Falcon 900 and VIP versions of the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777. “The goal for this year is to hit every major business aviation platform with an STC,” Inmarsat’s business aviation v-p Kurt Weidemeyer told AIN.
The Jet ConneX service designated specifically for business aircraft users is being marketed by various service providers, including Satcom Direct, Gogo, Arinc Direct and Satcom 1. Since the third quarter of 2015, the new Inmarsat-5 satellite constellation, on which the service is based, has been serving other sectors such as maritime operators.
Meanwhile, Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network, which will produce a combined network using both satellites and LTE ground stations as an alternative way to deliver high speed broadband, is due to go operational in the first quarter of 2017 and eventually should provide connection rates for 75MB per second. Inmarsat (Booth A023) is partnering with Deutsche Telekom in this project, which is intended as a lower cost solution that will be better suited to smaller aircraft that cannot carry the larger antenna required for Jet ConneX.
“We are now seeing a very high level of interest in Jet ConneX to the extent that we are now having issues with [achieving] the STCs and scheduling engineering work,” said Weidemeyer. “We are seeing interest from operators seeking the ability to offer video conferencing in the sky, which will work better with Jet ConneX than it does with the existing SwiftBroadband service. People are also excited that they can use IP-based TV services with multiple live streamed channels running in an aircraft at the same time.”
