SwiftBroadband Tested On Boeing Biz Jets

Advanced tests of the SwiftBroadband satellite broadband service on two Boeing Business Jets have demonstrated support for 10 passengers surfing the Web, sending email and performing file transfers, with an average speed of 200 to 300 kbps. Satcom equipment provider EMS Satcom announced at the Paris Air Show that more than 300 flight hours have been accumulated on the pair of BBJs operated by a Fortune 100 company. The aircraft are equipped with EMS  Satcom's eNfusion CNX Cabin Gateway communications system, an AMT-50 high-gain antenna and radome, and an HSD-400 High Speed Data Terminal. Inmarsat is expected to activate the SwiftBroadband service in October. "These successful trials affirm what EMS Satcom and Inmarsat have been projecting as the solution for in-flight, high-speed Internet connectivity is now almost a reality," said John Broughton, EMS Satcom vice president of product development. "There is still work to do through the rest of this year, including testing with the upgraded ground network, but we are satisfied with the performance of the system so far."