OneWeb and Intelsat have announced the successful completion of inflight testing of a hybrid LEO/GEO inflight connectivity solution. This means the resultant Network will benefit from the low latency of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and the redundancy of Geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites to deliver added network resiliency and performance levels. OneWeb and Intelsat announced a partnership in August 2022.
Also Read: OneWeb Successfully Deploys 40 Satellites With SpaceX
New Electronically Steered Array (ESA) antenna
Intelsat conducted seamless inflight switching between LEO and GEO satellite connectivity during tests on Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet, which was equipped with the new electronically steered array (ESA) antenna. The ESA, developed in collaboration with Stellar Blu and OneWeb, is the sole commercially available product in the aviation sector that has been validated to function on both OneWeb's low Earth orbit satellites and geostationary satellites.
Inflight Connectivity Gets Boost
Airlines can take advantage of both the low latency of LEO (low Earth orbit) and the redundancy offered by GEO (geostationary orbit) to address network hotspots that LEO networks alone cannot handle by utilizing the Intelsat and OneWeb satellite networks in conjunction. Additionally, with the ESA antenna, which provides uninterrupted gate-to-gate coverage from departure to arrival, aircraft can enjoy seamless connectivity, regardless of whether they are flying over highly populated cities or the polar regions.
Peak inflight Download Speeds
According to the statement, during the three-week testing period, executives from various American and international airlines observed peak inflight download speeds that exceeded 275 Mbps, enabling various applications, including uninterrupted live virtual meetings, seamless media streaming, and cloud computing.
OneWeb is two launches from completing the constellation of satellites needed to deliver truly global coverage. Both these launches are scheduled to take place in March, with aviation services coming online in early 2024. OneWeb has already deployed 542 satellites in low Earth Orbit, more than 80% of the satellite fleet, to provide coverage across the globe and is on track to activate the global coverage in 2023.
Also Read: Veon and OneWeb Partner to Deliver Extended Connectivity
OneWeb Inaugurates New Satellite Gateway in Brazil
OneWeb, the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, and Telespazio jointly inaugurated OneWeb's new satellite network portal at the teleport in Marica, in Rio de Janeiro. The new gateway, whose construction began last year in partnership with Telespazio Brasil, will provide key infrastructure in Brazil to deliver OneWeb's high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
The new gateway, which will be activated in the second quarter of 2023, is one of the two sites in Brazil and one of seven across Latin America built to deliver OneWeb connectivity in-country and across the whole region. According to the statement, Telespazio Brasil is also one of OneWeb's distribution partners in Brazil, supporting the mission of providing connectivity throughout the country.
Sure Selects Intelsat
In another development, Intelsat and Sure South Atlantic, an international telecommunications service provider, have signed an expanded agreement to enable Sure to improve the capability and reliability of communications for residents of the Falkland Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.
