[Avionics Magazine 01-19-2017] Gilat Satellite Networks has formed a new partnership with Air Media Group subsidiary Air Esurfing to “transform” the domestic In-flight Connectivity (IFC) market in China. Under the new partnership, Gilat and Air Esurfing will look to utilize China’s Ka-band High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity to provide domestic IFC services over mainland China.
China Southern Airlines Boeing 787. Photo: Flickr, Alessandro Ambrosetti.
Gilat and Air Esurfing will join forces to deliver broadband connectivity to airlines throughout China. Gilat will leverage its multi-service HTS platform that will operate with ChinaSatcom’s Ka-band capacity planned to be launched in 2017.
According to Gilat, the new solution will enable continuous IFC service exceeding 100 Mega bytes per second (Mbps). Gilat will provide a complete IFC terminal including its unique ER6000-A KuKa antenna terminal and its Taurus Modman. The partners will jointly pursue Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) certification for the Gilat system, with commercial pilots already planned for early 2018.
“China is a strategic market for Gilat and as such we have taken a key role in the development of HTS broadband over the last two years, with deployment of our multi-service platform to address both fixed and mobility applications. We are committed to the Chinese market and in particular to the Chinese IFEC market, and continue to seek additional Chinese as well as international players to partner in this mission, and are in discussion with several such players,” said Jun Xiang, general manager for Gilat China.