Satcom1 says it can increase the bandwidth available to users of Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband (SSB) satellite system by aggregating three and four SBB channels.
Francois Goudal, Satcom1’s research and development manager, said: “We are currently testing four-channel aggregation in our lab at Le Bourget, Paris.
“In good testing conditions, we have been able to reach and maintain stable throughput exceeding 1.4 Mbps. However, it is important to note that the results depend on many factors like the network load, especially in Paris which is in one of the busiest spot beams in the world.
“We will continue our R&D efforts to find the best and most efficient solution and we expect more details and positive news to come as we continue testing.
“The coming introduction of Alphasat, and High Data Rate (HDR) services, should offer new opportunities to get even higher speeds with a less congested network,” he said.
The channel aggregation is for streaming services only, not background IP, but it will enable passengers to watch live TV and hold high-quality video conferencing, even from 30,000 feet.
Satcom1 has also announced an update to its AvioPhone smartphone voice application, enabling the end user to use his/her own SIM card GSM number while flying.
The service is currently being tested as a beta version by a group of customers, and is expected to be commercially available in Q1 2015.
It has also enhanced its Cabin Billing system, which now includes a master on/off switch that lets the charter operator enable or disable the Cabin Billing on selected flights.
This is particularly useful in situations where an aircraft is chartered for longer periods of time or when principals or VIP customers could benefit from unhindered internet access, without being requested to provide personal credit card details in order to use internet on-board.
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