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Telesat announced on Monday at the APEX expo in Long Beach, California that they and Airbus would be working together on providing high speed internet connectivity to airline passengers. They’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus on enabling Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation oflLow Earth orbit (LEO) communication satellites to work with Airbus’s upcoming Airspace Link HBCplus platform.
In the announcement, Telesat said that “Airbus and Telesat will work together to address user terminal integration for HBCplus installations that are capable of providing Telesat Lightspeed services.”
Airbus HBCPlus
HBCplus is Airbus’s new provider-agnostic solution for high speed connectivity on airplanes. It uses electronically steered antennas in both the Ku and Ka bands to offer high speed satellite internet connectivity to passengers aboard commercial airliners.
HBCPlus is offered both as an option on new planes and as a retrofit for existing planes, and uses terminals from Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI) for both bands. SPI’s Ku-band solution is based on an antenna from Get SAT, while its Ka-band connectivity is based on the ThinKom Ka2517 antenna. Telesat announced previously that they were working with ThinKom to ensure the antenna will work with their LEO constellation.
According to AIrbus, the combination of both Ku and Ka band antennas will let it connect to satellites in both Geostationary Orbits and LEO, (as well as others), sometimes simultaneously, meaning less reliance on any individual satellite operator. This will give airline companies the flexibility to either use providers that they already have an arrangement with, or to choose from one of AIrbus’ network of partners.
This announcement will add Telesat’s Lightspeed LEO constellation to the provider network, which also includes Viasat (through the former Inmarsat), SES, Intelsat, Hughes, and Panasonic. Airline operators that have already been announced to be taking advantage of HBCPlus include Emirates Airline, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Algerie, and Air India, as well as Thai Airways and Turkish Airlines.
New source of customers Telesat Lightspeed
In turn, this provides a solid boost for Telesat. Having recently completed a $2.54 billion funding agreement with the Government of Canada and Quebec, Telesat can now point to a potentially valuable source for private-sector connectivity customers, for their upcoming 198-satellite Lightspeed constellation, to be built by MDA Space and launched by 2026.
As Boeing planes can also have the Ka2517 antennas as a buyer-furnished refit offering, this opens up Telesat Lightspeed as a future competitive connectivity option for a wide variety of airline companies.
In the announcement, Philippe Schleret, Vice President of Aviation for Telesat, said that “we’re excited to begin this important collaboration with Airbus to ensure our channel partners can seamlessly integrate Telesat Lightspeed services into their portfolios.”
Tim Sommer, Head of Connected Aircraft at Airbus, said that “the integration of the Telesat Lightspeed LEO network within the Airbus HBCplus solution will perfectly complement our current MEO & GEO offer”. He added that the deal will answer “emerging demand for low latency connectivity” as well as “contribute towards our multi orbit strategy for global coverage.”
In Airbus’ own announcement from the conference, Airbus did not give a date for the official rollout of HBCPlus, but said that “entry into service draws closer,” and noted that “the first customer aircraft – fitted with HBCplus – are nearing final completion and subsequent delivery from the Airbus final assembly lines.”
