Summary
- Internet access is now expected on planes, with Viasat’s satellites providing global coverage through redundancy.
- Airlines like American, United, and KLM use Viasat for WiFi, with newly acquired Inmarsat expanding their reach.
- Viasat enhances inflight entertainment beyond WiFi, offering airlines like Delta new content options and potential expansions internationally.
Internet connectivity is now deeply sown into our daily lives. How often have you gone into a public space, and your first reflex was checking for a public network? The answer is most likely every single time.
Today, having access to the internet via WiFi in buildings, cafés, and even public transportation is an expectation, with most enterprises receiving public access and seeing it even as a requirement. Aviation is no different, although by no means does every plane flying in the skies have onboard connectivity. The number of airframes with this feature is growing by the day.
A couple of weeks ago, Simple Flying attended the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 in Hamburg and met with Elaine “Lainey” Hind, Director of Airline Programs at Viasat.
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How does WiFi connectivity work?
Leany then explained how their satellites provide connectivity to their clients.
“Geosynchronous satellites are launched 23,000 miles above the earth’s surface and travel at the same speed as our planet’s rotation. So it’s always covering because it’s so high as a vast field of view,
“There’s some redundancy too, and in fact, some of the coverage of the satellites overlap. One of our latest constellations is called Viasat Three, and three satellites were set to each cover a third of the globe.”
Our host provided an in-depth explanation of satellite communication. In this process, satellites receive signals from aircraft and relay the beams to ground stations across the globe. These ground stations then transmit the signals back to the aircraft. It was noted that while weather conditions may impact connectivity in specific areas, the system is designed with multiple redundancies to mitigate any potential disruptions effectively.
What is your coverage like in the USA, where you are based?
In our interview, Lainey explained that Viasat provides internet in all areas of the US (and worldwide, of course).
“Our satellites are geosynchronous and have very high capacity. We measure that with what we call capacity density. For example, some hubs have more demand than other areas. JFK or Atlanta mainly focuses on traversing the US, especially in high-demand places. You cannot be an airline and cannot offer WiFi.”
Lainey also explained how recent acquisitions increased their global reach.
“About a year ago, we acquired Inmarsat, so two satellite companies came together. Both had in-flight connectivity, so that combination provides global coverage. Transatlantic is part of Inmarsat’s mission to cover those based on the demand routes and ensure we have coverage.”
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Who uses Viasat as their internet provider?
Leany then went on to express the worldwide scale of Viasat’s reach.
“American Airlines or United, for example, like we are on certain of their aircraft; that’s also the situation with KLM.”
In a follow-up email that we received after the event, they shared an impressive collection of photographs featuring two other prominent airlines: the Canadian boutique carrier Porter and the Korean flag carrier Korean Air.
We later heard from the VP of inflight entertainment at Delta during Viasat’s Women in Aviation leadership panel, which backed up the claim of full coverage, specifically on US Domestic routes, as one of the satellite company’s clients.
“We’ve been working with receivers, and that’s been a big part of that. We have 1300 planes in our fleet and are going there,
“We’ve covered the entire domestic system with 700 aircraft and free WiFi. We are now focused on international flights, so this second half of the year will feature free WiFi on international flights, which is really exciting.
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Is Viasat only for WiFi?
Photo: Benjamin Cooper | Simple Flying
While the internet is what they are known for, Viasat predominantly provides connectivity to airlines, which can also be used more broadly throughout the passenger experience – an excellent example is IFE. The company explained that most airlines today offer, for example, the latest episodes of a show – historically, this was loaded up using VHS cassettes – however, with satellite connectivity, these are mostly phased out. Instead, whenever an airline wants to update its media offerings, it can centrally upload new content using the beams provided by the various Viasat constellations of satellites in orbit.
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Bottom Line
Internet connectivity has become a crucial part of daily life, with expectations for access extending to public transport and airplanes. At the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024, insights were gained into how Viasat enables WiFi on planes through geosynchronous satellites, offering expansive global coverage, including all of the US. Viasat’s technology allows for consistent, redundant connectivity, supporting airlines like American Airlines, United, and KLM. The company recently expanded its reach by acquiring Inmarsat. Besides WiFi, Viasat enhances the passenger experience with improved inflight entertainment options, showcasing how satellite connectivity can revamp traditional in-flight offerings.