Business aviation has always been on the cutting edge of technology. In the early 2000s, Duncan Aviation’s avionics technicians were installing systems that allowed passengers on business aircraft to stay connected to friends, family, and business associates on the ground. These systems were hampered by slow speeds and limited bandwidth, but they were cutting technology at the time and embraced by business travelers who needed to send text-based emails and make phone calls using wired handsets on the aircraft.
Today, crew and passengers alike enjoy systems that provide greater speeds and bandwidth with nearly worldwide coverage. Whether you need to send a few text messages or join video conferences, there are an array of connectivity systems to meet all needs.
The two internet systems for in-flight connectivity are: ATG (Air-to-Ground), bouncing signals off of terrestrial-based cell towers, and Satellite Wi-Fi, using signals from satellites orbiting Earth.
ATG services transmit signals among a series of terrestrial-based cell towers, providing mostly seamless coverage throughout the contiguous United States and parts of Canada. Data speeds vary, depending on the network generation and aircraft equipment. With the rollout of 5G in recent years, some business aviation internet service providers are also transitioning to 5G, which requires upgraded or entirely new equipment in aircraft that can connect to the new networks and take advantage of greater speeds.
Long-time Duncan Aviation collaborator and provider of ATG connectivity, Gogo Business Aviation, is one in-flight internet service provider that transitioned its services to 5G and will no longer support systems that operate on the 3G/4G networks after this year.
Speeds for 5G networks vary, with a consistent 25Mbps (Megabits per second) and a peak of 80Mbps.
Gogo has a host of equipment options that replace legacy ATG equipment and let customers take advantage of the faster speeds and more reliable connections available with 5G or its intermediary network option, the LTE (Long-Term Evolution).
Providing coverage around the world, satellite-based internet systems work well for business travelers who want to remain connected during global trips. Today, there are two sets of satellites: LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and GEO (Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit). GEO satellites are located 22,000 miles from Earth, and provide coverage for Ka- and Ku-band systems. There are fewer satellites covering a greater area, have a high throughput rate, and high latency. The LEO satellites, between 99 and 1,200 miles from Earth, require far more satellites to maintain coverage, but they have a lower latency, which can lead to a better user experience.
Ku-band—Ku-band provided the earliest connections for business aircraft travelers, and it’s still around today, albeit with faster speeds. Occupying the 12-18 GHz radio frequency range, Ku speeds range between 10-50Mbps, allowing email, live-streaming, phone calls, and web browsing.
Ka-band—Ka-band occupies the 26.5-40 Ghz range. Speeds range from 20-90Mbps, and vary with traffic volume on the network and cloud cover. Ka-band connections are fast and reliable for streaming video and audio and large data transfers.
A range of companies provide equipment and satellite service that take advantage of Ku- and Ka- band connections:
Duncan Aviation has completed hundreds of installations at its three main facilities (Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah) and at the company’s 28 Satellites located around the country. We have developed or have access to dozens of STCs (Supplemental Type Certificates) to install the equipment and antennas on most make/models of aircraft.
For more information about which system is right for your travel needs, contact a Duncan Aviation Avionics Sales Representative or Regional Satellite Avionics Sales Manager Mark Winter (+1 402.470.4650 office or +1 713.539.7149 cell). Not only will they be able to answer questions regarding equipment upgrades available for various aircraft make/models, they’ll provide a detailed, transparent quote and available scheduling.