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Inflight connectivity industry debates future viability of low earth orbit models

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Inflight connectivity industry debates future viability of low earth orbit models
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Panasonic Avionics has invested significantly in geostationary satellite capacity, resulting in improved Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for its legacy GEO-focused inflight connectivity (IFC) solution. However, John Wade, vice president of the connectivity business unit at Panasonic, believes that a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satcom-only model may be the future of IFC in commercial aviation. This model could potentially use two electronically steered antennas (ESAs) in different frequency bands.

In this scenario, GEO satellites would either not be used for IFC or would be relegated to supporting broadcast TV. Wade commented on the potential overstatement of congestion issues around large metropolitan areas by those advocating for GEO usage: “People who are saying ‘we need GEO for hub cities’ I think are overstating the congestion issues we’re going to see. I don’t think they’re going to be there.”

Wade envisions a future where LEO-only becomes viable once coverage issues are resolved. He stated, “I don’t see any reason why you can’t have a Ku LEO antenna and a Ka LEO antenna on the same aircraft.” Coverage challenges include flying over regions like Russia or China due to geopolitical reasons.

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When asked about the possibility of Eutelsat OneWeb Ku and Telesat Lightspeed Ka service on the same aircraft, Wade responded, “I see no reason why that couldn’t happen in the future.” Panasonic is currently bringing multi-orbit LEO/GEO IFC to market using Eutelsat OneWeb LEO and its own GEO network with Gilat/Stellar Blu’s Sidewinder ESA.

Peter Lemme from Seamless Air Alliance echoed similar sentiments at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg: “I think there’s a possibility of having two LEO networks on airplanes... something like Starlink (Ku) and Kuiper (Ka).” He highlighted capacity constraints and legal coverage concerns but noted that hybrid terminals embracing both LEO and GEO could route certain traffic efficiently.

However, Dave Bijur from Intelsat disagrees with Wade and Lemme's assessment. Bijur stated, “I don’t believe that network hotspots are solved by more LEO; they suffer the same problem as the LEO satellite right next to it.” He elaborated that demand varies significantly across different regions, which can only be addressed through a multi-orbit system.

Single-band LEO IFC is already being implemented by SpaceX’s Starlink Ku-band service on JSX and Hawaiian Airlines. Other airline customers include airBaltic, Qatar Airways, and WestJet. Hughes Network Systems is also preparing to launch LEO-only IFC with Eutelsat OneWeb service.

Wade acknowledged a role for single LEO-only IFC in certain applications: “If you’re not worried about coverage issues anymore and you’re confident about capacity... we may be looking at a LEO-only world in the future.” He predicts that by the end of this decade, largely LEO-only installations for IFC will become prevalent.

SpaceX considers adding a third ESA for larger aircraft feasible. However, Wade believes two ESAs—one for Ku and one for Ka—are sufficient: “Beyond that... maintenance becomes an issue.” Bijur remains skeptical about multiple antennas on one airplane being practical everywhere.

Eutelsat OneWeb LEO is expected to debut soon in aviation, supporting Intelsat’s multi-orbit IFC and eventually Panasonic’s offerings using a single ESA. Amazon’s Project Kuiper Ka-band LEO constellation aims to offer initial broadband services by 2025 but has yet to disclose specific plans for the aviation/IFC market.

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