Global Xpress – Revolutionising in-flight internet access
Sometimes people just can’t get away from their laptops or smartphones for their business and personal uses and with constant technological advances, things are getting faster and even more convenient. This has been taken one step further (or higher!) with the partnership between British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat and global aviation supplier, Honeywell. Inmarsat have plans to launch 3 satellites into orbit over the next couple of years, with the first being launched in 2013 which will be the beginning of their plans to provide global coverage.
Global Xpress is the project’s name and they claim that speeds up to 50 megabit per second download and 5 megabit per second upload will be attainable at times. However it’s more than likely that speeds will be closer to 10 megabit per second in most cases, this is still much faster than what is currently provided on airlines and will provide business users a high quality connection to keep in touch whilst cruising at 36,000 feet.
There are two different bands that could be used for this service and they are the Ka-band and Ku-band. Both have their pros and cons, however Ka-band is the one that Global Xpress have chosen. Pros for the Ka-band include a higher frequency, faster speeds, a larger spectrum as well as the antennas being cheaper for the aircraft. Cons however, include the fact that it’s not had a great deal of testing in the aviation sector, it’s susceptible to changing / bad weather conditions. Finally, there aren’t that many satellites out there, but that’s what Inmarsat are working on by deploying additional satellites.
This development in in-flight Wi-Fi is going to be of most use to business users wanting to stay in touch with their clients / colleagues whilst cruising at altitude, however personal users may be interested in the service on long-haul flights to keep themselves or children occupied. Prices are only speculation at the moment, however prices for current services are around £2 an hour (depending on whether you’re on a short or long-haul flight) so expect them to be roughly the same.