September 15, 2015 – Global broadband services and technology company, ViaSat, has entered into a technical agreement with Boeing to initiate the evaluation process for airlines to specify line-fit installation of the ViaSat in-flight wi-fi connectivity system on Boeing airplanes.
According to ViaSat, its system offers in-flight internet speeds typically 8 to 10 times faster than any other system available today. Under the terms of the agreement, ViaSat’s Ka-band airborne satellite terminal will be evaluated as a factory option for Boeing aircraft prior to delivery, enabling airplanes to come off the line with ViaSat connectivity ready for immediate service. This would allow airlines to avoid the down-time involved with taking planes out of service for post-production retrofits.
“Our agreement with Boeing is an important milestone giving our airline customers the ability to get the best onboard wi-fi system delivered with their new aircraft,” said Don Buchman, vice president and general manager of commercial mobility at ViaSat. “By selecting ViaSat in-flight communications for Boeing’s fleet, airlines now can differentiate their in-flight internet service with a flexible, sustainable business model that will continue to create value as more passengers use the service.”
John Craig, chief engineer of cabin and network systems for Boeing Commercial Airplanes continued, “In initiating the evaluation process with long-time partner ViaSat, we now look to add ViaSat airborne terminals to our line-fit factory options. This will give Boeing’s commercial airline customers a new cost- and time-effective high-bandwidth connectivity choice for their airplanes.”
ViaSat’s in-flight internet service has won several industry awards over the past 12-months, including a Crystal Cabin Award, Excellence in Avionics Award, Via Satellite Excellence Award and an APEX Avion Award.
Expanded global coverage
As announced in March 2015, ViaSat and Boeing also are working together to offer the ViaSat Flexible Broadband System. This system couples ViaSat’s high-capacity ViaSat-2 satellite payload design with Boeing’s 702SP (Small Platform) satellite bus to lower barriers of entry for regional satellite service providers to offer affordable, flexible satellite broadband anywhere in the world.
With this system, service providers can focus capacity to match bandwidth demand and scale their infrastructure as expansion is needed. According to ViaSat, the vision of this smart global network is to allow any ViaSat-enabled Boeing aircraft to stay connected across a much more diverse, global Ka-band satellite network.