Intelsat concludes multi-orbit onboard Wi-Fi tests

Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s largest integrated terrestrial and satellite networks and a leading provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), today announced the successful completion of flight test of its new electronically steerable antenna (ESA) ). This antenna enables fast global streaming Wi-Fi service and is available to airlines worldwide.

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Intelsat’s ESA antenna, seen on top of the plane, offers a low profile and the lowest drag of any product Intelsat has ever offered, reducing CO2 emissions for airlines. (Photo: Business Wire)

Intelsat’s ESA is the only commercially available antenna in the aviation industry that can operate between low earth orbit and geostationary satellites. Announced in June 2022, the new antenna has been racking up flight hours with engineers from Ball, Stellar Blu Solutions, Intelsat and OneWeb validating antenna and network performance.

In early 2023, Intelsat successfully demonstrated the new system to global airlines on the company’s Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet equipped with the new antenna and onboard Wi-Fi system. With maximum onboard download speeds of over 275 Mbps, airline customers were able to participate in live virtual meetings, stream media and stay connected without interruption.

By using the Intelsat and OneWeb satellite networks together, Intelsat can offer the low latency benefits of LEO along with the redundancy that GEO provides to address network access points that LEO networks on their own cannot address. Whether aircraft are flying in the polar regions or the world’s most populated cities, the ESA antenna will provide perfect coverage from takeoff to landing.

Weighing just 40 kg and with no moving parts, the new antenna is just 8.8 cm high at the top of the aircraft. The terminal’s low profile has the lowest drag of any product Intelsat has ever offered, reducing CO2 emissions for airlines.

“After installing the system in December, we’ve worked hard to perfect this new technology and have taken some of the world’s leading airlines on test flights. An antenna with no moving parts, much smaller than its predecessors, allows airlines to compete against each other in the market, delight their customers and be confident that Intelsat’s multi-orbit antenna will provide the best in-flight connectivity experience on the market.” said Jeff Sare, president of Intelsat Commercial Aviation.

Alaska Airlines recently announced that it plans to use Intelsat’s ESA terminal and IFC services onboard its fleet of Embraer regional jets. Intelsat has ongoing supplemental type certification programs for a wide range of aircraft and expects to begin delivering and installing complete suites in early 2024.

Learn more by visiting the Intelsat website.

About Intelsat

Intelsat’s global team of professionals is focused on providing seamless, secure satellite communications for government agencies, NGOs and commercial customers through the company’s state-of-the-art global network and managed services. Bridging the digital divide by operating one of the world’s largest and most advanced fleets of satellites and connectivity infrastructure, Intelsat enables people and their equipment to talk across oceans, see across continents and hear across skies to communicate, cooperate and coexist. Since its founding six decades ago, the company has been synonymous with the satellite industry’s “firsts” in service to its customers and the planet. Building on a legacy of innovation and focusing on tackling a new generation of challenges, Intelsat team members now have their eyes on the “next pioneers” in the space as they revolutionize the field and lead the industry’s digital transformation. .

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The original language text of this announcement is the official authorized version. Translations are provided as a convenience only and must refer to the original language text, which is the only version of the text that is legally binding.