Business Jet Connectivity Providers Race To Keep Pace With Demand

Owners and operators of business jets increasingly are demanding consistent, high-speed in-flight connectivity with uninterrupted global coverage.

There is also a growing realization that connectivity technology designed for airliners may be a poor fit for business aviation. Viasat Senior VP-Business and General Aviation Kai Tang noted that a recent survey of business jet operators conducted by the company found that “almost three-quarters of respondents noticed passenger satisfaction had notably increased since inflight connectivity was offered, but finding the right solution is critical, because in this market especially, the passenger wants certainty that wherever and whenever the aircraft is flying, and however intense their network demands, they will not be faced with the spinning wheel of Wi-Fi doom.”

Viasat acquired Inmarsat earlier this year. The company offers a Ka-band solution for business aviation.

“Some might be surprised that consistent performance and 100% route coverage were ranked more important than high speed, but this shows that having the fastest Wi-Fi is pretty pointless if you don’t have the consistency and coverage to use it,” Tang told Avionics International. “Performance without coverage and consistency is like an arrow without a bow. The biggest compliment we receive from our customers is them not even noticing our connectivity, simply because it always works.”

Rival Intelsat, meanwhile, offers FlexExec, which has a “satellite network purpose-built for business aviation with dedicated connectivity not shared with commercial aviation or consumer broadband,” Intelsat spokesperson Steve Lott said, adding: “The FlexExec global satellite network is also multi-layered, meaning layers of overlapping coverage.”

Intelsat partners with Satcom Direct, which produces the Plane Simple antenna system. “Through our exclusive partnership with Satcom Direct, FlexExec has quickly become the fastest growing satellite connectivity service in business aviation history,” Mark Rasmussen, Intelsat’s senior vice president for mobility, told Avionics International. “Combining the strength of our high-throughput multi-layered FlexExec network with Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ku antenna, we’re on pace to continue significant growth connecting business jets wherever and whenever they fly.”

Satcom Direct in August made its first installation of the Plane Simple solution on a Brazilian registered executive jet, following approval from Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC). According to Satcom Chief Communications Officer Michael Skou Christensen, all major aviation regulators in the world have now approved the product.

A Brazil-registered Gulfstream G550 “is the first executive jet to optimize SD’s advanced antenna technology in Latin America, and the [undisclosed] operator has already confirmed it will be adding the system to the same undisclosed owner’s Gulfstream G450 in Q1 of 2024,” Satcom Direct stated. “Three additional Brazil-registered Gulfstream G550s are scheduled to have the equipment installed before the end of 2023, and SD Brazil already has a backlog of orders for 2024.”

Plane Simple is “an array of different antenna systems that we're bringing to the market that gives customers a purpose-built and flexible solution for having the best connectivity consistency across a global coverage,” Christensen told Avionics International.

Some 75 business jets globally have the Plane Simple system, which can utilize both Ka-band and Ku-band. Christensen said it is critical that systems designed for business aviation are different than solutions built for airlines. Also, business jets need to use connectivity systems that can be adapted to a fast-evolving marketplace.

Satcom Direct set out to “provide something that was purpose-built for business aviation because we don't think that business aviation has ever had that before and we wanted to give them the ability to get the best connectivity solution today, but also help them with one of the biggest challenges that many flight departments have, which is technology adaptation,” Christensen explained. “So, as we have more and more different solutions coming into business aviation, it's vital for customers to be able to adapt to them as quickly and easily as possible, both from a commercial point of view, but also from a technical point of view.”

Intelsat expresses high satisfaction with Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple solution. “The tail mount antenna features only two Line Replaceable Units to simplify installation and configuration, and future upgrades as technology advances,” Lott said. “The FlexExec satellite network is purpose-built for business aviation with dedicated connectivity not shared with commercial aviation or consumer broadband.”

Christensen said business jets need different connectivity solutions than airliners for “multiple different reasons,” adding: “If you have a business airplane and you have luggage compartments—that's for luggage, not for avionics … Luggage space on this business airplane is for the people going on board and their luggage. When you have an airline-derived unit, it has to be in the luggage compartment because it cannot operate outside of the pressurized vessel.” And even if the airline and business jet operator are paying the same price for connectivity technology, “the price to an airline for the connectivity looks a lot smaller compared to a business airplane because there are fewer people paying the bill so the bill to that person looks bigger,” Christensen said, noting that purpose-built systems for business jets can offer a more cost-effective solution. “If you have solutions where you are sharing your bandwidth or your user experience is affected by terrestrial domestic household internet or boats or airlines, then all of a sudden, you have a bad experience that is influenced by other verticals and you cannot have that in business aviation. Business aviation wants and is willing to pay a premium for a connectivity solution that is giving them priority and giving them that consistency and user experience across their entire mission. That's really what they're looking for.”

Satcom Direct solutions utilize both Ku-band and Ka-band, as well as LEO and GEO satellites to maximize coverage area. Christensen said bandwidth is available if utilized correctly: “We continue to see both capacity and speeds go up … We're also seeing a totally new level of consistency for our customers in terms of reliability in terms of global availability. No matter where you're flying your airplane, then you can have the same user experience. Whatever your mission is, that's really important … We can see that there is sufficient capacity.”

It’s important for both business aviation connectivity providers and business jet operators to keep pace with and adapt to a rapidly changing market, Viasat’s Tang said.

“The technology behind satellite connectivity is constantly advancing and we often see that accompanied by a steady flow of new players with ambitious plans and expectations,” he explained. “It’s natural, and easy, at the early stages for all new network operators to cast their eyes on aviation and make promises. It’s unfortunate that these promises are often made without the benefit of experience, or respect for the discipline and rigor involved in our aviation industry.”

He added: “We’ve learned that customers are looking for a seamless experience, which includes reliable and consistent service and support. Staying ahead of demand and enabling our partners to provide that experience anywhere and any time is crucially important, recognizing that operators expect their connectivity to work equally at airports like Teterboro, Van Nuys, [and] London with significant business aviation traffic as it does in remote destinations. Events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, the Masters, see dozens of jets operating simultaneously with similar streaming requirements.”

Tang said the combination of Viasat and Inmarsat will enable the company to offer advanced and adaptable systems more efficiently and productively than either of the companies on their own.

“We already offer a range of powerful connectivity solutions for business aviation, from advanced, high-speed broadband for passengers in the cabin to vital safety communications for pilots in the cockpit,” he explained. “Both the Inmarsat and Viasat companies have always prided themselves on delivering services that meet the market’s unique and fast-evolving requirements. And we are excited that our coming together will deliver a step-change in future innovation, offering improved capabilities and flexibility that will meet long-term demand from customers.”

He added: “Much of this is already underway thanks to our impressive technology roadmap, with new satellite launches and terminal innovations already leading to enhanced capabilities for our Ka and L band service plans. This build-up approach is unique and cannot be replicated by others in the market, some of which have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver, either from the start or as their networks fill and performance degrades.”