ViaSat Ku-band Mobile Broadband Satellite Communications Network for Business Aviation Passes 100,000 Flight Hours
ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq:VSAT) recently passed 100,000 flight hours for its ArcLight® airborne broadband system that delivers cable-like broadband service to business aircraft. The Ku-band satellite service, the only one licensed by the FCC, offers faster speeds at a lower cost than either cellular or other satellite mobile broadband alternatives, as well as better service in congested airspace. Aircraft are free to roam the entire coverage area, which today includes North America, the North Atlantic, and Europe.
ViaSat and communications service provider ARINC initiated broadband in-flight service in early 2005. Since then the mobile network has grown to serve maritime vessels and ground vehicles as well as aircraft. Most of the 100,000 hours have been logged by larger business jets using ARINC SKYLinkSM service, such as the Gulfstream G550.
The mobile broadband network uses patented ViaSat ArcLight technology, which enables use of very small (12-inch), light-weight antennas. The service offers data download speeds of up to 10 Mbps to the aircraft and up to 512 kbps uploads. Customers can send and receive broadband data, connect to a virtual private network, and access video programming using portable devices on the ground, during taxi, and in-flight.
“This milestone validates our claim that our ArcLight technology, using Ku-band satellites, has significant advantages over other mobile broadband systems,” said Don Buchman, director of ViaSat Mobile Broadband Systems. “Once our network expansion is complete, aircraft, ships, and land vehicles will be able to move from one region to another, around the globe, without service interruption.”
Recently ViaSat announced plans to expand its ArcLight network to provide worldwide coverage by the end of 2009, working with maritime service provider KVH Industries. Mobile broadband coverage of the North Pacific is planned for the end of the year with coverage of Japan and Southeast Asia to follow soon.
About ViaSat
ViaSat produces innovative satellite and other digital communication products that enable fast, secure, and efficient communications to any location. The company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies to the U.S. government; and is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services. The company has five subsidiaries: US Monolithics, Efficient Channel Coding, Enerdyne Technologies, Intelligent Compression Technologies (ICT), and JAST. These companies design and produce complementary products such as monolithic microwave integrated circuits, DVB-S2 satellite communication components, video data link systems, data acceleration and compression products, and mobile satellite antenna systems. ViaSat has locations in Carlsbad, CA, and Duluth, GA, along with its Comsat Laboratories division in Germantown, MD. Additional field offices are located in Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD, Washington DC, Australia, China, India, Italy, and Spain.