BlueSky Business Aviation News

In the first of a new series of articles that will discuss connectivity from nose to tail, Satcom Direct's Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Moore, sets the scene . . .

The evolving needs of connecting business aviation


t is twenty years since Satcom Direct launched from a beach house in Florida, appropriately located at Satellite Beach.

At that point in time, air to ground communications systems were rudimentary. Budgeting and management of connections were complicated. A caller would have to establish where an aircraft was in the world, and then look up several corresponding numbers, before eventually dialling a 15- to 20-digit number to reach the aircraft, and then hopefully the person required was on board - not always guaranteed in a business fleet.

There was no single provider of communications, and billing was incredibly complicated with different suppliers, providing different levels of connectivity, across different geographic locations. Jim Jensen, the founder of Satcom Direct recognised the value it would bring to flight departments and operators, if each aircraft had its own unique number which could be called directly, no matter where it was in the world. Enter Global One Number, business aviation’s first service that made direct dialling to an aircraft-in-flight, a reality.

Back then this was revolutionary, and represented a real step-change in aircraft communications for passengers and crew. Fast forward to now and aircraft communications have developed exponentially. The sector has evolved to focus on connectivity, not just to phones, but to flight decks, inflight entertainment systems, personal devices, laptops, and the ubiquitous mobile phone. Information, entertainment, and communications, are now delivered daily, across the skies, to aircraft of all sizes. Connectivity is as important to an aircraft as the engines themselves. We’ve seen cases of principals refusing to fly if connectivity malfunctions, it’s a bad case of AOG when it does.

The expectation for always-on connectivity is driving technological innovation. The hardware continues to support more functionality as router complexity and functionality grows to support the increased data usage on board. Software delivers more applications and functionality enabling continued use of familiar ground applications in the air, as well as enabling functionality of other devices. The external infrastructure is feeding the need for faster, richer, data and the amalgamation of these components has realised the office-in-the-sky concept. Inmarsat’s satellite collection offers Ka-band speed, the fastest currently available on the market, which enables passengers and crew to be more productive than ever. Ka, Ku, L, C and X bands are also available from a collection of suppliers, with each band providing a solution for a different need.

Today’s connectivity experience revolves around what can be done with data coming into the aircraft. This is where SD is constantly trying to innovate and develop products that improve the aviator, passenger, crew and industry experience. We’ve created robust hardware, sophisticated software, extensive infrastructure and certified training courses to make the whole sector’s evolution smoother as we travel through this rapidly changing landscape. We’re also trying to predict what is on the digital horizon.

Satcom Direct's Operations Centre, Melbourne, Florida.

The future is likely to see all the moving parts of business aviation synchronised into a single system supporting operations. Cyber security will become inherently more significant as managing the integrity of business aviation networks on the ground and in the air, becomes an essential part of corporate process. Aircraft will become more intelligent, able to obey voice commands, whilst cabins will communicate with ground procurement offices and cockpits will liaise with maintenance and trip planning.

The need to satisfy the sector’s insatiable need for more data, to be delivered more quickly to support entertainment and connectivity will continue to generate more innovation and creative technology.

As one of the sector’s leading players in the field, and the only one to offer the complete blend of hardware, software and infrastructure, we are pleased to launch a series of columns that discusses connectivity from nose to tail. We’ll explore what owners and operators should think about when connecting aircraft; look at the changing trends of passenger’s usage; and examine the changing behaviour of aircraft themselves. We’ll explore the developing needs of the industry, provide some insight into the ever-expanding network of business aviation connectivity, and hopefully inspire some dynamic communication.

www.satcomdirect.com

Head Office:
1050 Satcom Lane, Melbourne, FL 32940, USA
 
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 19th October 2017 | Issue #435
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