Jane Edwards
Inmarsat has selected Satcom Direct to serve as a worldwide distribution partner for the former’s broadband connectivity service intended for aircraft and cockpit operations.
Satcom Direct will provide the business aviation market with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety service under a memorandum of understanding, Inmarsat said Monday.
The SwiftBroadband-Safety service is an internet protocol-based service that works to provide users access to flight data streaming and electronic flight bag applications, as well as help airlines perform flight tracking operations in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System requirements.
The pre-agreement also allows Satcom Direct to offer users of Inmarsat’s Classic Aero service an option to shift to the SwiftBroadband-Safety offering.
Frederik van Essen, senior vice president of strategy and business development at Inmarsat’s aviation business, said the SwiftBroadband-Safety service is designed to “set a new standard in aviation safety†through the combination of broadband connectivity and the L-band spectrum.
Inmarsat noted that the SwiftBroadband-Safety hardware is now ready for deployment on existing aircraft and is set to become a standard option on new planes by 2018.
