Hughes Network Systems advances inflight connectivity with new ESA technology

Reza Rasoulian, senior vice president of the Aviation Business Unit at Hughes, provided updates on Hughes' activities related to OneWeb aero-specific operations and its Jupiter In-Flight GEO-focused Ka-band IFC product for Delta’s Boeing 717s and regional jets.

When asked about Gogo's specifications for its HDX and FDX ESA hardware based on Hughes’ LEO ESA, Rasoulian stated: "Our commercial aviation variant is optimized for the commercial aviation sector and uses a fraction of the power of other ESAs in the market very low maximum power consumption consistent with the performance of the FDX."

Regarding shipment timelines for ESA hardware for commercial aviation, Rasoulian confirmed: "Hughes black label ESAs for commercial aviation will be available in the first half of 2025. Our ESAs will be flying by the end of 2024."

Discussing passenger experience expectations onboard narrowbody aircraft fitted with Hughes’ LEO-based solution, Rasoulian emphasized: "Passengers should expect a living-room like experience including low latency, high service availability, and throughput when using Hughes In-Flight Connectivity."

On Delta's progress equipping RJs and Boeing 717s with Hughes’ GEO-based IFC solution, Rasoulian remarked: "The program is progressing well. We look forward to inviting you to experience the Hughes in-Flight connectivity solution as it’s available in 2025 on Delta’s RJ and 717 fleet."

Explaining Hughes' decision to join Seamless Air Alliance in 2023, Rasoulian noted: "The IFC industry is quickly changing how IFC services are measured and monitored... Together, airlines and IFC providers must shift towards experience-based measurements which mirror traveler’s expectations."