ARINC Incorporated has completed the first integration and testing of eXchange™ with Service by SKYLinkSM on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), the world’s largest production business jet. The installation combines Rockwell Collins’ eXchange satellite broadband avionics with ARINC’s SKYLink Ku-band satellite service, and adds several in-flight communications features not available elsewhere.
The enhanced onboard system supports fully functioning operations of a modern iPhone, allowing it to perform like a PC on a ground network. It also supports UMA voice calling, access to email and corporate intranet (VPN), the Internet, Voice over IP (VoIP) global telephone service, and videoconferencing. In an industry first, the system includes a terminal wireless LAN unit (TWLU) as a wireless bridge from the aircraft cabin LAN to ground-based public and private networks, enabling 802.11a/b/g data transfers when a ground based 802.11a/b/g network is located for use. In flight, the system features seamless handoffs between SKYLink’s Ku-band satellite service and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband™ service, creating a seamless global network that combines the two services as one. A unique manual option alerts users whenever they are leaving SKYLink coverage—important for cost-conscious customers who may want to know when usage will be at a more expensive rate.
The enhanced communications suite also includes guaranteed voice telephony through Quality of Service (QOS) functionality. This makes voice packets a higher priority than data, allowing voice calls to continue smoothly without interruption or degradation of service while data is being sent. ARINC expects to receive a second order for this unique BBJ communications system in the very near future. eXchange, which uses ViaSat‘s broadband terminal hardware and ARINC’s SKYLink, is the world’s first broadband Internet solution for business jets, with more than 100 private, corporate and government aircraft users. With true broadband speeds as high as 3.5 Mbps, it provides a high-speed Internet connection for an “office in the sky” experience. ARINC Direct has recently expanded its SKYLink network, which now includes substantial coverage of Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Central America, parts of South America, and the North Atlantic and Pacific flight tracks.
