Satcom Direct completes business jet Plane Simple Ka-band antenna installation

Satcom Direct has completed the first business jet Plane Simple® Ka-band antenna installation on the company’s SD Gulfstream G550.

The prototype terminal consists of two line-replaceable units, the tail-mount antenna and SD Modem Unit, and is testing the advanced technology hardware’s compatibility with Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX inflight broadband service powered by its Global Xpress constellation.

Satcom Direct says the antenna is the second terminal in the SD Plane Simple antenna series and is functioning under an aircraft-specific supplemental type certificate (STC) and according to the company, terminal validation will be conducted during regular flight operations, with the collected data planned to be used to finalise the design for optimised functionality.

“Owners and operators depend on us to deliver reliable and consistent service, and our Plane Simple antenna systems satisfy this demand,” said Chris Moore, SD President.

“We’ve rigorously tested the Plane Simple Ku-band, which has performed beyond expectations. Now, with the validation of the Ka-band terminal, we’re adding more value to our offering to meet the needs of our customers. We have a long-standing relationship with Inmarsat, having evolved numerous connectivity services together to deliver superior experiences to users. We are excited to begin on-wing testing with them.”

Kai Tang, Head of Business Aviation, Inmarsat, said: “Like SD, our aim is to give customers best-in-class consistent, global coverage, now and in the future. We anticipate that SD hardware technology, combined with our enhanced next-generation satellite network, will reinforce our position as the premium connectivity experience for SD customers. We are looking forward to validating this through the testing process.”