Story ID: 
Satcom antenna targets smaller bizjets
By: Harry Weisberger
Caption: EMS Satcom has revealed the newest addition to its eNfusion suite of airborne wireless communication products that the company promises will bring Internet
Word Count: 318
EMS Satcom has revealed the newest addition to its eNfusion suite of airborne wireless communication products that the company promises will bring Internet access to smaller business aircraft.

“Finally, after all these years, a smaller, lighter installation is available for smaller business aircraft,” said Jean Menard, EMS Satcom director of commercial sales, announcing the company’s HSD-440 high-speed-data terminal and AMT-3500 satcom antenna.

At the heart of the system is the HSD-440 terminal, which will provide in-flight office services with high-speed Internet and voice connection while giving pilots access to safety-of-flight cockpit voice and data services. The hardware package is SwiftBroadband-ready and will be available in next year’s second quarter, according to Menard.

EMS Satcom also announced that its Cabin Network Xcelerator device, a multifunction unit that replaces a mixture of commercial networking hardware to provide up to eight Ethernet connections, has received an expanded STC that includes its operation with 802.11g wireless functionality.

The AMT-3500, the latest of EMS Satcom’s Swift Broadband-capable antenna options, joins the Canadian company’s AMT-50 and AMT-3800 high-gain satellite antenna systems in offering Inmarsat Swift64 and future SwiftBroadband capability. Its reduced footprint and lighter weight will allow operators of smaller, shorter-range business aircraft to benefit from the choice of a suitable antenna and high-speed-data terminal, said Dr. Neil Mackay, EMS Satcom senior v-p and general manager.

The intermediate-gain AMT-3500 antenna supports Inmarsat Aero-I services and is designed specifically for coming SwiftBroadband capability. The Arinc 781 system includes an integral beam-steering unit, reducing the required number of components from three to two. “It will allow smaller aircraft to benefit from broadband connectivity during all phases of flight, virtually anywhere in the world,” added Menard.

EMS Satcom, based in Ottawa, Canada, is a division of EMS Technologies.