IPTK news, sort of :) Lufthansa Systems promoting their new BoardConnect portable/link which uses IPTK's fflya system
"Airplane connectivity is expensive. Really really expensive. @LH_Systems thinks it has the next generation of low cost connectivity. The passive antenna goes in a window unit and gives up to 350 kbps via @IridiumComm Next, ideal for messaging and SMS. #APEXexpo #PaxEx"
No confirmation yet but this looks like IPTK's fflya system as well
"Faroe Islands-based Atlantic Airways will become the global launch partner for AirFi LEO by the end of this year. Wireless IFE provider AirFi is launching its first in-flight connectivity service. AirFi LEO connects the AirFi Venus portable wireless IFE system to the Iridium NEXT constellation through a low-profile antenna installed in a cabin window. The solution, which enables basic web services at a low cost and without aircraft modifications or certifications, will fly first on Faroese carrier Atlantic Airways, with installations beginning in Q4 2018.
The NEXT network delivers a 350kbps connection per channel. AirFi plans to deliver a multiplexed connection quadrupling that capacity. This is still not enough for most apps or browsing usage across a loaded commercial aircraft but there are use cases that make sense. Eli Atiya, AirFi’a COO, highlights real-time booking, online payments, instant messaging and social media as potential use cases.
“There is high demand for basic connectivity across our client base – more so than high-speed internet.” – Eli Atiya, AirFi
“There is high demand for basic connectivity across our client base – more so than high-speed internet for streaming or browsing,” Atiya said. “AirFi LEO delivers an extremely important addition to our portfolio and meets our criteria for safe, rapid deployment.”
Johanna a Bergi, CEO of Atlantic Airways, is keen to target these use cases as well. “Passengers will be able to message their friends and families at 35,000 feet, check their social media feeds and complete last minute transactions like renting a car or booking a hotel room, from the comfort of their aircraft seat,” she said.
The global coverage provided by Iridium’s NEXT constellation is also important to Atlantic Airways given its hub’s northern position on the globe. While geostationary (GEO) satellites do cover the region and routes, the low earth orbit (LEO) satellites remove any chance of a gap on flight routes.
Iridium intends to upgrade the per-channel speed in 2019, increasing throughput without requiring any hardware changes on the antenna or client side. This will further improve the quality of the AirFi LEO product, though still leave it well short on total bandwidth to the plane compared to the GEO options."
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