Airline partners with ViaSat to harness satellite-based Wi-Fi rather than ground-based connectivity
Airline Virgin America, owned by billionaire Richard Branson, this week announced a partnership with ViaSat that promises to bring in-plane Wi-Fi with enough throughput to support streaming-video applications like Netflix or HBO Go.
At present, travelers are often stymied by the low-quality throughput offered on airplanes. Passengers share a minimum level of Wi-Fi signal that rarely, if ever, supports the relatively low threshold needed to stream video.
The companies said that beginning in September, 10 of Virgin’s new A320 aircraft will get hooked up with ViaSat-1, a high-capacity Ka-band satellite that can deliver 140 gigabits per second of capacity.
Ken Bieler, director of product design and innovation for Virgin America, said the partnership builds on the company’s 2009 rollout of Wi-Fi on all aircraft.
“The idea behind our in-flight entertainment and connectivity offerings has always been to offer travelers more content, more interactivity and more of the choices they have access to on the ground,” Bieler explained. “Bringing ViaSat’s satellite-based Wi-Fi product to our new-delivery aircraft will again allow us to make an industry-leading investment in our product. We are excited about this new technology and the possibility it opens up for Wi-Fi coverage on our new Hawaii flights and for travelers who wish to stream video in-flight.”
Many inflight Wi-Fi systems are based on connectivity from ground stations with satellite-based Wi-Fi still an emerging technology. Virgin plans to deploy ViaSat equipment on its flights to Hawaii is slated for 2016.
During the initial rollout period, Virgin America will offer the satellite Wi-Fi for free with pricing coming sometime in 2016.
ViaSat’s VP and GM of the commercial mobility business, Don Buchman, said the new Wi-Fi service will “maximize passenger engagement and increase customer loyalty.”
“Our competitive advantage is rooted in the unique bandwidth economics of ViaSat-1 and the forthcoming ViaSat-2 satellite networks,” Buchman said. “We can empower airlines to engage all of their guests in an in-flight, online experience just like they’d get on the ground – including streaming high-quality video.”
Last month Virgin introduced a new in-flight entertainment system called Red, which uses Android-based software to push real-time updates and includes full seasons of popular television shows, interactive maps and video games like “Pac-Man.”
