Story ID: 707
Viasat Satisfies the Need for Speed
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Viasat's Ka-band satcom delivers access speeds of up to 16 Mpbs on aircraft equipped with its 5510 terminal.
Word Count: 274
For NBAA 2018 attendees disappointed with the expensive and low-bandwidth Wi-Fi service at the convention center, a visit to the Viasat booth (1254) could prove highly satisfying. Viasat is demonstrating its Ka-band satcom network at the show, and visitors can experience access speeds of up to 100 Mbps via the company’s ViaSat-2 satellite.

Viasat has signed an exclusive distributor agreement with StandardAero, under which the maintenance and avionics service company will offer Viasat satcom packages for the Bombardier Global Express, XRS, 5000, and 6000.

StandardAero will offer Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 for satcom service provided by the ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2, and European Ka-band satellite platforms. The 5510 system is also compatible with the upcoming ViaSat-3 ultra-high-capacity satellite platform, and no hardware upgrades to the 5510 will be needed to connect to the ViaSat-3 network.

Two business jet OEMs have selected Viasat for the 5510 Ka-band satcom system. Gulfstream chose Viasat for the Ka-band system for its G280 super-midsize jet, and Embraer will offer the Viasat satcom to buyers of its new Praetor 500 and 600 jets and will also provide a retrofit option for Legacy 450 and 500 owners.

To expand the number of facilities that can sell and install Viasat satcoms, the company selected two new business aviation dealers, GoAeroMx of San Antonio, Texas, and SoCal Jets of Van Nuys, California.

According to Viasat, customers can simultaneously access high-bandwidth applications on aircraft equipped with its Ku- and Ka-band satcom systems. This includes “accessing VPNs, or streaming high-definition video calls, cloud content, or live TV entertainment.” Network speeds are up to 16 Mbps, and the speed should increase as Viasat adds more satellite capacity.