05 September 2019
Wi-Fi in the sky has landed to the sound of relieved business passengers in Africa.
That’s because in 2018, US consumer products and engineering conglomerate Honeywell completed the first installations of its JetWave satellite communications hardware on African aircraft.
As the need for humans to be constantly connected increases, so has the pressure to have inflight Wi-Fi systems on the world’s airlines – big, small and boutique.
Surprisingly, inflight Wi-Fi is actually a relatively recent development. Giants like Boeing and Airbus didn’t get it off the ground until 2001 and 2005 respectively. In fact, over a decade ago, the industry was built on low-bandwidth satellite-based systems to transmit data to connect the planes with the internet.
Next came the ground-based systems and this speed allowed passengers to access web browsing capabilities and the use of smartphone apps. The problem is these systems depend on ground-based transmitters, which means they only work on terra firma.
Unfortunately, the experience for many travellers has been expensive and fairly disappointing. The limited bandwidth of the ground-based system has not been able to keep pace with the speed at which technology moves, while data needs continue to grow unabated. Yes, things have moved on quite a bit for the typical passenger, but one airline knows it pays to keep big-spending business travellers happy – and that means good connectivity. So, it decided to do something about it last year.
ExecuJet South Africa called on Honeywell to kit it out properly. It installed the vendor’s JetWave hardware onboard its Bombardier Global Express and Challenger 604 aircraft at its base in Johannesburg. What’s more, it delivers access to the faster Ka-band satellite communications network, provided by Inmarsat through its Jet ConneX service.
This gives passengers and flight operators access to reliable, high-speed “Wi-Fi in the sky” that allows easy use of high bandwidth services. However, we’re not just talking about reading online newspapers, composing emails or watching some short clips, the connectivity is actually strong enough to support things that are notoriously bandwidth hungry, such as video streaming, online conferencing and gaming applications. You could actually watch a live sporting event, (provided you’re a subscriber). What’s more, there’s no (jet) lag – these services are delivered at speeds users are used to achieving at home or in the office.
Honeywell says its JetWave Satellite Communications terminals provide a seamless, in-flight Ka-band global broadband service that is available worldwide
“ExecuJet South Africa is committed to delivering best-in-class aviation services and we recognise the importance of reliable in-flight connectivity to heighten the passenger experience and modernise flight operations,” says Warwick Stone, MRO business development manager, ExecuJet South Africa. “We look forward to continuing to work with Honeywell to provide our customers with the benefits of reliable, global, high-speed, in-flight Wi-Fi.”
Furthermore, ExecuJet South Africa is also among the first to offer “Fly Away” installations of the JetWave hardware on select aircraft platforms. By offering turnkey installations in fewer than 15 days, aircraft downtime is reduced to install this next-generation connectivity solution and passengers can benefit from increased productivity and seamless in-flight Wi-Fi in the air.
Honeywell says its JetWave Satellite Communications terminals provide a seamless, in-flight Ka-band global broadband service that is available worldwide. As “the exclusive hardware” with access to the Inmarsat Jet ConneX network, the JetWave system is designed to provide seamless data connectivity irrespective of where you are in the world. The hardware and network are optimised to work in flight, “providing an outstanding passenger connectivity experience”.
Through the Jet ConneX service, business jet operators experience “industry-leading” connected aircraft capabilities delivering the bandwidth to meet passenger demand for seamless access to business applications, online networks and entertainment options while they fly.
“As Africa’s aviation industry expands, we are welcoming a growing number of business aviation users, and with them comes a greater need for reliable, high-speed in-flight connectivity,” said Rudolph Louw, aerospace leader of Africa at Honeywell. “As an industry leader in connected aircraft technologies, our JetWave hardware is designed to significantly upgrade the connectivity onboard these jets, enhancing the experience of passengers, pilots, flight crews and aircraft operators.”
He adds that these installations in South Africa illustrate “the truly global nature and reach of our connectivity solution and satellite network”.
Now business passengers of all persuasions can surf the internet and at their leisure or even participate in online conferences, while remaining connected to their loved ones 35,000 feet below them.
