Story ID: 
New satphone rings for bizav
By: James Wynbrandt
Caption: TrueNorth Avionics (Booth No.
Word Count: 305
TrueNorth Avionics (Booth No. 4908) is showcasing its Simphone (pronounced “symphony”) in-flight satphone line here this week, including the recently introduced Chorus, Duo and Solo systems.
“After two years of design work we are extremely pleased the hard work of our TrueNorth Avionics team has come to fruition,” said Mark van Berkel, founder, president and CEO of the Ottawa, Canada-based company.
Each of the Simphone systems are packaged into single 4-MCU avionics LRUs, qualified to DO-160E for installations inside or outside the pressure vessel. According to the company, product benefits include ease of installation, a multitude of operational and interface capabilities and worldwide coverage.
The first installation of a Chorus system in a Challenger 604 was recently completed by Jet Works Air Center in Denton, Texas. The system is interfaced to an existing Rockwell Collins satcom system using the built-in CEPT-E1 interface.
The Chorus phone offers communication over the Inmarsat and Iridium networks with an IP-based PBX, integrated dual Iridium channels, integrated Wi-Fi and data routing. Its open architecture also supports future broadband network capability, the company said.
TrueNorth has also announced a special upgrade program for MagnaStar operators who migrate to the Simphone Chorus. The deal saves buyers as much as $11,000 on the cost of the hardware. Verizon plans to shut down the MagnaStar network at the end of next year.
“Recent market uncertainty has left many aircraft operators concerned about the future, and unsure of which replacement phone system they should choose,” van Berkel said. “With this special offer, along with the fact that our advanced Simphone system was designed specifically for business aviation, we wanted to let corporate operators know they can select their Simphone airborne telephone–quite possibly the last one they’ll ever need–with complete confidence.”