Tuesday, January 29, 2013

ViaSat expands Ku-band satellite capacity through four new contracts


A quartet of new contracts will expand the total Ku-band satellite capacity of ViaSat Inc.'s global mobility network by more than 60 percent.

ViaSat will reserve this additional bandwidth for government and general aviation business growth as well as providing high data rates for customers in the mobile satellite communications market.

The current expansion phase is an overlay to ViaSat's mobile network in important regions around the world. The additional satellite bandwidth will not only improve baseline broadband performance; it will also create a foundation for future service plans.

ViaSat will elaborate on the regional coverage and availability of its expanded Ku-band satellite capacity within February 2013 at the earliest.

The Company recently delivered its 500th VR-12 satellite terminal. General aviation and government mobility markets have relied upon the ultra-small aperture system to accomplish “office in the sky” business applications, while military customers use them for enroute Command & Control and ISR services. 

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Gogo to install satellite, air to ground in-flight Internet solutions on American Airlines’ A320, 737 aircraft

Gogo, a world-leading company providing in-flight connectivity, said in a statement that it will set up two in-flight connectivity solutions on American Airlines’ new Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 deliveries: Ku-band satellite and Gogo’s next generation Air to Ground technology - ATG-4.

These dual systems will allow the aircraft to provide smoothly continuous in-flight Internet service on both domestic and international flights. Installations will take place as the new aircraft are delivered to the U.S this year.

In a company statement, Gogo’s CEO and President Michael Small said, "Installing the two systems helps ensure these aircraft will stay connected wherever they fly, whether they're flying domestically or headed to an international destination. Gogo's ability to deploy multiple connectivity solutions gives us the flexibility to install the right technology for each individual aircraft regardless of its mission. American's decision to use both solutions is further acknowledgment of the significant advantages of the dual system for an enhanced customer experience."

Aside from American’s new A320 family and Boeing 737, Gogo was also formerly chosen to install existing MD-80 and Boeing 737, 757 and 767 in American Airlines domestic aircrafts.

Monday, January 7, 2013

ViaSat ships its 500th ultra-small airborne satellite terminal

Swedish company ViaSat has just reached a military and general aviation market milestone after shipping its 500th VR-12 Ku-band airborne ultra-small satcom antenna, along with its ArcLight technology.

The VR-12 serves as an aircraft which requires a limited size, weight and power of onboard communications equipment, all while meeting the requirements for advanced broadband satcom for media-rich applications.

The VR-12 airframe systems also include a “hatch-mount” version -- a combined antenna system and radome package that falls into the escape hatch of a C-130 aircraft. Other installations include tail mounts for the PC-12 (U-28), commercial Gulfstream and other planes, as well as a fuselage mount for government MC-12W aircraft.

Paul Baca, the General Manager for ViaSat Global Mobile Broadband, said that the ultra-small 30-centimeter aperture of the VR-12 brings the trend for larger antenna designs.

“The small VR-12 footprint has been a key to achieving so many successful Ku-band installations,” Mr. Baca said in a statement. “As more Ka-band satellites become operational, we plan to offer a new VR-12 Ka antenna with an identical footprint as a new configuration option.”