SD Qualifies Plane Simple Antenna on Intelsat Network

Satcom Direct’s (SD) Plane Simple antenna system has been qualified on Intelsat’s FlexExec satellite network, which allows a wider variety of business jets to access high-speed broadband through the Ku-band, tail-mounted antenna system.

“Until now, high-speed capabilities have remained the domain of the large-jet market," said SD Business Aviation president Chris Moore. "This qualification opens up the possibilities for more jet sizes to benefit from the advantages of high-speed broadband. It will better support more in-flight productivity, enhance leisure time, and enable improved operational management for more customers.”

Consisting of two line-replaceable units, an SD modem, and a tail-mounted antenna, the Plane Simple system—manufactured in partnership with QEST, Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH—offers minimally invasive installation, reduces maintenance fees, and provides an easier transition to upgrading connectivity services. During the qualification process, SD used its Falcon 2000LX to gather data. The system was tested over more than 115 flight hours and 62 individual legs, with 250 GB of data transmitted and consistently streamed across multiple devices during the series of international flight tests, according to SD.