Hughes and OneWeb Collaborate to Bring Seamless Global Wi-Fi to Airlines
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This year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) show in Hamburg saw Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of EchoStar, and OneWeb announce a Distribution Partner agreement aimed at offering Low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services to airlines worldwide.
We caught up with Reza Rasoulian, Vice President, Hughes Network Systems, who told us that the result for passengers could be an in-flight WiFi experience akin to what they are used to at home or in the office.
How does this benefit airlines? What can they expect to see in terms of system installation, speeds, services that they can offer to customers?
Reza Rasoulian – “Customers expect their airline to deliver a snappy and reliable Wi-Fi experience when they fly.
“The Hughes LEO In-Flight solution provides that and more. It’s fast (provides data rates up to 195 Mbps), lightweight (far under 100 Lbs), low-power (draws under 350 Watts) and has no moving parts.”
“That means that our solution is easy to install, will save money on fuel costs and can last longer than traditional IFC technologies. Plus, it can be attached easily to an existing GEO solution, meaning that airlines won’t have to rip-and-replace their current IFC technology to bring their passengers a better experience.”
If I am on a long-haul flight taking advantage of a system drawing on these LEO connectivity services, what does this mean for me in practice?
Reza Rasoulian – “Our Hughes LEO In-Flight solutions simply provides a better connectivity experience for passengers than a standalone GEO service can.
“Passengers can enjoy fast data rates of up to 195 Mbps with low-latency connectivity from the OneWeb LEO constellation everywhere around the world.
“That means they will be able to video conference, play online games and even use a VPN aboard a flight and still enjoy a responsive internet experience, just like they’ve come to expect from their office or home internet service.”
What’s the roll out timetable for this, and what airline customers are already on board?
Reza Rasoulian – We’re eyeing early 2025 for market entry in commercial aviation, starting with the retrofit market. We can’t comment on potential customers, but our solution has received significant interest so far.
The newly launched Hughes LEO In-Flight solutions encompass two offerings: a LEO-only service and an industry-first hybrid solution, leveraging Hughes Fusion™ technologies.
The hybrid solution enables the transformation of any Geostationary orbit (GEO) aero service into a fast, low-latency onboard Wi-Fi experience. Both solutions rely on the Hughes LEO antenna, which is a lightweight, low-power, and low-profile ESA developed and manufactured by Hughes.
Commenting on the announcement at AIX, Ben Griffin, vice president mobility at OneWeb said:
“The best way to provide airlines and passengers with faster, more consistent and truly global broadband service is with a variety of technologies and partnerships. Hughes is a trusted, strategic partner of OneWeb, and we’re delighted to extend this partnership to include our aviation services. This agreement reinforces our industry-led approach which is resonating so well with airlines globally.”
For more information about Hughes Managed LEO for aero connectivity or Hughes LEO In-Flight, visit www.hughes.com/InFlight.