FAA says mobile devices usage may boost in-flight entertainment services

The FAA is taking a good new look at how the increasing use of mobile devices during flights may catalyze the spread of wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) services among airline companies.

IMS Report possessed an optimistic opinion of IFE. It claimed that by 2012, almost 9,000 aircraft will be able to provide IFE services.

According to the FAA, the major U.S-based carriers will continue adding connectivity services to their fleets. In-flight Wi-Fi and cellular communication services are expected to grow more common despite the myriad challenges they face.

The FAA expects 2013 will witness companies like Boeing rolling out their aircraft with the necessary equipment for Wi-Fi connectivity and use of cell phones during flight. Boeing, in particular, is predicted to make wireless media streaming a standard feature for its 2014 production run.

In related news, JetBlue Airways recently announced that it will be launching in-flight Wi-Fi aboard its flights with the help of ViaSat. The airline company claims its in-flight satellite Internet service offers the most bandwidth in the commercial aviation today. Other airlines turned to Gogo for in-flight Internet connectivity.

ViaSat finishes installing integrated waveform control station for UK MOD

ViaSat recently announced its completion of the Integrated Waveform Network Control Station (IW NCS) it deployed on behalf of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of the United Kingdom.

The IW NCS makes the most efficient use of its assets in UHF satellite communications. It delivers voice and data assignments across the 5 and 25 kHz UHF channels, and it will also enhance voice quality interoperability with US military forces in theater.

Viasat included its RT-18xx based terminal hardware in the turnkey Initial Operational Capability (IOC) installation that it built for the UK MOD. Another company, Spirit River, supplied the IW NCS with UHF satcom antennas.

Mext up for ViaSat is to implement Final Operational Capability (FOC) in the UK MOD’s advanced UHF satcom networking. This will allow the UK MOD to simulaneously plan and control two IW master channels. Built-in failover redundancy will be included to ensure the reliability and robustness of the network.

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MTN debuts its Nexus next-generation hybrid network

The maritime consumer markets can now enjoy content, social media, and voice solutions through Nexus, a next-generation hybrid network solution by MTN Communications that combines satellite and terrestrial wireless capabilities. Nexus can also deliver computing, caching, and security infrastructure.

According to MTN President and CEO Errol Olivier, cruise operators were making significantly increasing demands for connectivity and content due to a parallel increase in the communications required by their passengers and crew. Cruise passengers and crew have shown increasing desire to stream video, update their social media pages, and share vacation images with friends or family members aboard the same vessel.

In response, MTN created the Nexus hybrid solution for the Company's cruise line partners. The Company drew upon its 30 years of experience in delivering connectivity and content to maritime vessels in locations that are out of reach from terrestrial wireless and wireline networks. The Nexus network combines the best of satellite and land-based wireless networks to ensure continuous and fast connectivity.

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ViaSat, RascomStar demonstrates GSM cellular service for remote regions

The AfricaCom 2012 international show witnessed the successful live demonstration of a new GSM cellular service jointly developed by Pan-African satellite operator RascomStar and satellite and mobility communications company ViaSat. This new cellular service caters to customers in remote and under-served areas.

RascomStar made its announcement on November 20, 2012. In its statement, the Company reported that visitors to its common AfricaCom booth could place a call to anywhere in the world thanks to a low-power GSM site that leverages the RASCOM-QAF1R communications satellite.

The GSM cellular service developed by RascomStar and ViaSat is the first of its kind that uses bandwidth-efficient, low-power infrastructure to deliver GSM/3G voice, messaging, and data services to to hitherto unreachable areas.

The RascomStar-ViaSat is a low-cost turnkey managed service. ViaSat provided its ip.access technology for the ground segment while RascomStar handled the space segment. According to the partner companies, the solution was designed for easy scalability. It also reduces risks for mobile operators while boosting profits and sustainability at the same time.


You can read more about similar cellular backhaul services here.

Harris provides Washington Gas with hybrid wireless communications

Harris Corporation recently developed a hybrid wireless communications system to provide increased data and voice capabilities to natural gas service provider Washington Gas.

Washington Gas serves more than one million customers from the commercial, industrial, and residential markets of the metropolitan region of Washington, D.C. Its new communications systems connects roughly a thousand utility personnel across company facilities.

Harris combined OpenSky2 and P25 communication technologies to enable seamless and reliable communications across the 26 sites that Washington Gas operates in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The 22 OpenSky2 sites in the Washington, D.C. and Maryland territories are fully interoperable with the standards-based VHF P25 system in the Virginia and West Virginia territories.

To integrate these two different technologies, Harris employed its VIDA network platform to serve as the backbone. A unified IP-based voice and data communication system based on the industry standards set by the P25 system, VIDA delivers full IP management benefits.

The Harris VIDA network integrates the OpenSky2 and P25 systems into a single solution that can meet a broad range of user needs with scalable digital voice trunking capabilities. Washington Gas will uses efficient OpenSky2 communications in the 900 MHz band in metropolitan areas and VHF P25 in rural terrain-challenged regions.

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Globalstar to use airwave license for mobile broadband services

Louisiana-based satellite company Globalstar has filed a two-prong plan with the Federal Communications Commission to use it airwave licenses for mobile broadband services. The move is expected to make the company’s wireless spectrum even more valuable.

According to the FCC, the plan to utilize the spectrum for mobile broadband services would require GlobalStar to start a partnership with a telecom operator or a wireless data provider. Many regulators and wireless providers are expanding their airwaves to meet the surge in traffic resulting from the growth of smartphones.

Globalstar is awaiting first the FCC’s decision on Dish Network’s own plans of using its spectrum for ground-based wireless network. The FCC’s approval of Dish’s plans will, experts say, serve as a template for succeeding filings and clearance processes.

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Ixia becomes network validation partner of Broadband Wireless Consortium of India

With an eye to expanding its involvement in the deployment of national wireless and wireline networks, Ixia announced its intention to join the Broadband Wireless Consortium of India (BWCI,) a national forum that gathers major players in the Indian telecom industry to discuss many aspects of broadband wireless access.

Ixia will help BWCI develop technologies that improve the performance, standardization, and deployment of broadband wireless access. The collaboration intends to deploy high-performing, stable, and secure broadband wireless infrastructures in India.

Ixia offers numerous services to companies around the world, such as optimizing 3G and 4G/LTE infrastructures for Carrier companies, testing network and data center resiliency for enterprises, improving security and training cyber warriors on behalf of the government, and aiding equipment manufacturers in speeding up the development of next-generation devices.

The Indian telecom industry can use Ixia solutions test and enhance how their converged, wireless, and wireline networks perform.

In a recent statement, Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, the chairman of BWCI and Honorary Director of CEWiT, explained that Ixia will be of great assistance in investigating new wireless technologies and finding solutions to their challenges.

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