Advancing its European Aviation Network (EAN) high-speed in-flight connectivity solution, Inmarsat has signed an agreement for Cobham SATCOM to design and produce an advanced Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) terminal.
The operator said the terminal will help the EAN enable commercial and business airlines to offer high-speed internet access to passengers during flights across Europe.
Inmarsat also said airlines will be able to achieve this by utilising Inmarsat’s 30MHz (2 x 15MHz) S-band spectrum allocation in all 28 EU member states.
The Cobham SATCOM’s terminal will exploit the latest advances in Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) technology to enable a direct connection between aircraft and Inmarsat’s S-band satellite.
The EAN was unveiled earlier this month as the first aviation passenger connectivity solution in Europe to combine an advanced satellite network, operated by Inmarsat, and LTE-based ground network, operated by Deutsche Telekom.
It will allow aircraft to switch automatically from Inmarsat’s satellite connectivity to Deutsche Telekom’s terrestrial component using an onboard network communicator.
Read the interview with Inmarsat’s CEO.
