ARINC plans broadband for biz jets
ARINC Direct and Starling Advanced Communication are signing an agreement to jointly provide fully integrated broadband Internet solutions for business jets.
The agreement meets the increasing demand for reliable and cost-effective in-flight broadband applications in the medium and large size business jet segments. It will open new horizons for business travelers, enabling broadband in-flight applications, such as the Internet, VPN, PDA, VoIP, e-mail, mobile phones, video conferencing, and instant messaging.
ARINC’s highly successful SKYLink system and service is currently limited in its installation to business aircraft that can accommodate the mechanically steered tail mount antenna. Under this agreement, ARINC will combine the SKYLink system with Starling’s MIJET and MiniMIJET - the world’s fastest fuselage mounted broadband antenna systems for in-flight applications, opening up the broadband Internet market to thousands of additional aircraft.
ARINC and Starling will jointly develop and carry out service demonstrations, customer visits and sales support. “By integrating the MIJET and the MiniMIJET antennas with SKYLink system service, ARINC will expand its offering and addressable markets,” said Robert Thompson, Senior Director of Satellite Services of ARINC. “As of next year we will be able to offer connectivity solutions for all mid and large size business jets.”
“The agreement marks a new era in the history of business jets,” said Micha Lawrence, CEO and founder of Starling. “We can now combine the power of our recognized strengths to establish a leadership position in providing in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions to customers worldwide. Our innovative antennas enable high-performance broadband services in all flight conditions, at the same service level as on the ground.”
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SKYLink by ARINC Direct is the only in-flight broadband satellite service for business aircraft passengers. SKYLink allows business aviation passengers to stay connected even at 47,000 feet. At speeds in excess of 3 megabits per second (Mbps), it provides the user with a truly broadband experience. Designed with business aircraft users in mind, SKYLink is faster, smaller, lighter, more efficient, and less costly than other airborne satellite systems. And it’s easy to use. Just plug a network cable from your laptop into a jack on the plane and log on to the network. The process becomes even simpler if you have a wireless connection and a preconfigured server.
Starling’s MiniMIJET (diameter 16’’ - 40 cm, height 4” - 10 cm) is an antenna system for medium and small size business aircraft. The MiniMIJET Ku-band antenna provides the industry’s best-of-breed solution for unmatched high-speed bit rates and superior cost-effectiveness, compared to L-band and other air-to-ground technologies. In addition to its compact size, the antenna set the highest level of performance and data rate: transmission data rate of up to 384 Kbps, and reception data rate from 3-5 Mbps.
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