Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of
global mobile satellite communications, has announced a key infrastructure
milestone for its European Aviation Network (EAN), following the successful test
and validation of the EAN Satellite Access Station (SAS).
As the first solution in the world to
integrate connectivity from a satellite, operated by Inmarsat, and a LTE-based
ground network, operated by Deutsche Telekom, EAN will provide a true in-flight
broadband experience for millions of airlines passengers travelling throughout
Europe.
The SAS is located in the Greek town of Nemea
and operated under an agreement with OTE, the largest telecommunications
provider in Greece and member of the Deutsche Telekom Group. Engineers undertook
rigorous performance and stability tests to verify the SAS’s capabilities to
serve as a reliable and robust gateway between Inmarsat’s S-band satellite and
the internet.
Inmarsat and its partners have successfully
completed testing at the European Aviation Network’s satellite access station in
Nemea, Greece. |
Frederik van Essen,
Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development,
said: “The European Aviation Network offers a broadband experience like no other
in the sky by combining satellite coverage with additional capacity from the
ground network. Passengers can connect using their personal devices for internet
browsing, video streaming, gaming and other online services. There are also
important cost and operational benefits for airlines, as the EAN system is
highly compact and weighs only a few kilos.
“The results of infrastructure testing at the
satellite access station in Nemea, conducted with our partners Cobham SATCOM and
OTE using a satellite simulator, have exceeded expectations and reinforced our
confidence prior to the scheduled launch of our S-band satellite in the middle
of 2017. We remain on track for EAN’s service introduction later in the year.”
The SAS consists of a 13-metre antenna that
provides feeder links to the satellite, a radio frequency sub-system and a radio
access network provided by Inmarsat partner Cobham SATCOM.
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