SmartSky Networks has developed a mobile ground testing device for installers of its air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system. After installing a SmartSky ATG system in a customer aircraft, the dealer’s technicians can fully test the system on the ground using SmartCart, avoiding the need for flight testing.
Using SmartCart eliminates the need to find a qualified crew to flight test the system, explained SmartSky president and co-founder Ryan Stone. And if there is a problem with the installation, troubleshooting is much easier on the ground and prevents having to do multiple test flights.
The SmartCart kit comes in a special case and includes a laptop PC, a spectrum analyzer, and an indicator light. Connection to the aircraft is via a localized RF link, and SmartCart then connects to the SmartSky core network via the ground cellular system, passing data to and from the aircraft as if it were in the air and using the network’s towers. Testing includes end-to-end data connectivity, antenna operations, cable validation, power levels, and electromagnetic interference.
The SmartSky network is achieving 99.8 percent availability, according to Stone, and the supplemental type certificate (STC) list is growing and now covers about 6,300 aircraft tail numbers. That number is expected to grow to 7,900 aircraft by the end of the second quarter. Upcoming STCs for the larger Flagship two-antenna system will include the Airbus A319, Bombardier 850/CRJ200 and Challenger 300/350, Cessna Citation Latitude, and Embraer Phenom 300. The one-antenna Lite system will soon have STC approval for the Citation CJ1 through CJ4, Phenom 100, Gulfstream G200, Hawker 800/850/900, Beechcraft King Air C90 and 200 through 350, and Pilatus PC12.
Stone said that the Lite system is suitable for about 15,000 airplanes and the Flagship system for 10,000 airplanes. With Gogo’s Classic ATG system sunsetting at the end of 2025, Stone said the more than 3,000 airplanes equipped with that system will need to upgrade, and this will keep installers busy for the next few years. Those customers will want a choice of systems for their upgrades, and the dealers want to offer options, he explained. “There wasn’t a choice for a long time.”
Data usage on the SmartSky network is growing, and the company is seeing average customer usage of 1 to 2 GB per hour. One customer recently consumed 11.7 GB on a four-hour leg. “Customers are really enjoying the service,” Stone said. Typical speeds on the SmartSky network, which covers the continental U.S., are 5 to 10 GB download and upload with peaks at more than 20 download and 15 to 20 upload.
Retail price for the Flagship system is $119,999, and the Lite system is $59,999, although trade-in and other rebates are available. Service prices range from $3,495 per month plus $1,495 per additional 5 GB to $9,995 per month for unlimited data.