Lufthansa Technik Taps Thrane & Thrane for Cabin Datalink

Engineers from Lufthansa Technik and Thrane & Thrane have jointly developed a new mobile access router as a key component of Lufthansa Technik’s networked integrated cabin equipment, nicknamed Nice. The router will be the main interface to all devices on the Nice network, providing wireless laptop connectivity and other data access through Inmarsat’s Swift64 service and Gatelink (802.11b and -g). Some of the router’s components are being supplied by Cisco Systems, with Thrane & Thrane’s major contribution centering on the Aero-HSD+ high-speed-data satcom terminal. Developed for the business aircraft market, Aero-HSD+ provides two global voice, fax and PC modem data channels, as well as a packet data channel for cockpit communications.