Intelsat, OneWeb team on in-flight connectivity
UK-government backed OneWeb and US-based Intelsat are joining forces to offer in-flight connectivity services to airlines, combining the former’s low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite service with the latter’s geostationary (GEO) satellites to “harness the power of multi-orbit capabilities.”
The companies said they expect the multi-orbit solution to be in service by 2024. Inflight connectivity is certainly an increasingly crowded field, with companies such as Inmarsat, Eutelsat, SES and Viasat also engaged in the market. Intelsat itself has already acquired Gogo Commercial Aviation, which provides commercial inflight broadband and entertainment services.
Ben Griffin, OneWeb vice president, Mobility Services, hailed the announcement with Intelsat as a “watershed moment for the in-flight connectivity market.”
Jeff Sare, president of Intelsat’s Commercial Aviation, opined that the hybrid service offering “further allows the global airline community to plan their suite of next-generation onboard services with confidence – not only ensuring a future-proofed passenger inflight connectivity experience, but also the implementation of a connected airline digitalization strategy.”
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