Anuvu, an inflight entertainment and connectivity provider, reports it has completed successful aerial tests of its Dual Panel Satellite Antenna Assembly (DPSAA) Ka-band antenna.
The DPSAA is part of Anuvu’s Airconnect Ka-band inflight connectivity and entertainment platform. As part of Anuvu’s ‘Bridge to LEO’ strategy, the terminal is designed for a hybrid network configuration, compatible with both geostationary and future low Earth orbit (LEO) networks.
During the latest flight test, Anuvu says it reached its final milestone in validating the DPSAA design, with phase-matching of the dual-panel capability confirming the high-performance RF parameters, including what it describes as “best-in-class performance” at all elevation angles.
“The aerial test validated that the antenna’s high-speed dynamic tracking smoothly followed flight characteristics in aggressive aerial manoeuvres,” stated Simone Giordano, SVP for aircraft solutions at Anuvu. “Following the positive results of rigorous in-motion ground testing, the in-flight milestone now means we can confidently move into the deployment phase for the DPSAA.”
“As airlines continue to invest in connectivity, they need a system that will take them from today’s GEO networks to tomorrow’s multi-orbit networks,” added Mike Pigott, EVP for connectivity at Anuvu. “The DPSAA allows airlines to choose a connectivity option that provides the most efficient inflight performance today while maintaining fully forward compatibility with non-geostationary networks, saving cost and downtime.”
The DPSAA is the second-generation dual-panel antenna manufactured by QEST, Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH, a market leader in aeronautical antennas.
Anuvu’s testing of the DPSAA follows the successful testing of the first-generation antenna completed on the Telesat Lightspeed LEO test satellite in 2018. Anuvu expects further testing on both GEO and LEO in the coming months.
Anuvu says that with the same motion envelope, the DPSAA provides an easy upgrade path for current customers, and for new customers it provides a proven high-confidence path for adopting GEO/LEO hybrid network services.
