AvBuyer Magazine April 2022

Page 90

CABIN Electronics 1.qxp_Finance 22/03/2022 12:39 Page 1

CABIN ELECTRONICS

Jet Connectivity: Short-Term Development Outlook

Brian Wilson reviews the Business Aviation cabin connectivity market, reviewing how 5G and new satellite constellations will finally fix the laggard performance aviation aficionados have been experiencing over the past twenty years. What’s the short-term outlook…?

90 Vol 26 Issue 4 2022 AVBUYER MAGAZINE

here are some big developments afoot in the world of business jet connectivity, and it’s important for aircraft owners to be aware, ready to take advantage of enhanced capabilities. Although fast-moving and complex, the following outlook provides a simplified overview of what to look out for. Geostationary satellites have come a long way, with increased speeds and reliability in recent years. But they still have areas of weak (or no) coverage, are very expensive, and require a large mechanically steered antenna (MSA) to be installed on the aircraft. These Ku- and Ka-Band satellites are positioned 22,236 miles above the Earth and are susceptible to high latency, and weather effects on their performance. This high-end solution is suitable for only 25% of the business aircraft market, ultimately. Inmarsat SwiftBroadBand (SBB), meanwhile, offers an alternative satellite solution for the rest of the marketplace, but has coverage and data-speed

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