Viasat Selected as Connectivity Provider on Gulfstream G280 Business Jets
ORLANDO, October 15, 2018, (National Business Aviation Association—NBAA 2018 Convention & Exhibition, Booth #1254) — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, announced today its high-speed, high-capacity Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution has been selected for the Gulfstream G280™ mid-sized business jet airframe. The Viasat in-flight connectivity system will be a line-fit option, offered directly from the Gulfstream factory for all new aircraft. It will also be available as a retrofit for in-service aircraft.
The Viasat Ka-band in-flight connectivity service is proven to support more passengers and more devices simultaneously through all phases of flight, when performing bandwidth-intensive applications, including accessing virtual private networks, or streaming high-definition video calls, cloud content or live TV entertainment.
“G280 owners want their internet experience to mimic what they have on the ground,” said Rick Trusis, vice president, Mid-Cabin Programs, Gulfstream. “Viasat’s Ka-band connectivity system will meet those needs by delivering the connection speed, performance and reliability our mid-sized business jet customers expect.”
New G280 aircraft can be equipped with Viasat’s Ka-band connectivity system during production. Initial speeds offered are expected to be 16 Mbps, and Viasat expects those speeds to increase as it brings more capacity online. In addition, Viasat will offer a live TV streaming feature, which will give passengers the ability to watch live TV, content and entertainment on their portable electronic devices—without affecting their data plan.
Jerry Goodwin, vice president, Network Services, Viasat commented, “Being named Gulfstream’s connectivity provider on the G280 airframe is a great milestone for our Company, and a true testament to the strength of our technology and service offering. We’re proud to have been selected to provide Gulfstream mid-cabin business jet owners an unparalleled connectivity experience. We have full confidence that our high-capacity satellites—available both today and those that are planned for future launches—will ensure business jet owners can meet their connectivity expectations anywhere they fly, globally.”
New G280 aircraft equipped with Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 will tap into the ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2 and European Ka-band satellite platforms today, and will be forward-compatible with Viasat’s future-generation satellite constellation, ViaSat-3—enabling use of the ViaSat-3 capacity with no additional hardware upgrades. ViaSat-3 is an ultra-high capacity satellite platform, which will be comprised of three ViaSat-3 class satellites offering global coverage. Each ViaSat-3 satellite is expected to deliver one terabit per second capacity, which is more than the total network capacity of the approximately 400 commercial communications satellites in space today – combined.
About Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510
Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 is a highly-suitable connectivity solution for mid-sized cabin executive jets due to being the most compact business aviation internet system on the market. Its smaller size provides key advantages: it does not require space in the luggage compartment, enabling it to be installed in the non-pressurized areas of the aircraft and it lowers overall installed system weight compared to many competing offerings, which can potentially offer fuel savings.
For more information about the Viasat/Gulfstream partnership, or to see a live demo of the Ka-band aviation connectivity system, visit Viasat at NBAA 2018 in Booth 1254.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat’s Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
