Intelsat demos broadband delivery to airborne terminal for comms on the move

Intelsat General has demonstrated the capability to simultaneously send secure video and high-speed broadband signals to and from an aircraft in flight to support communications on the move, the company said in a news release.

The data rates achieved in the tests were 6 Mbps to and 1 Mbps from the moving aircraft, which are sufficient to send multiple video feeds in each direction while simultaneously conducting interactive broadband exchanges, the company said.

The flight path covered an area that crossed three continents served by four different satellites, the company said. Fully automated beam switching occurred as the signal moved from one Ku-band satellite to the next without problems and without centralized control.

The airborne terminal had its own world map and, based on Global Positioning System location, connected to the appropriate satellite and inaugurated switches as needed, the company said.