If there’s one certainty in the inflight connectivity (IFC) market, it’s that everything is in flux. Technologies are evolving rapidly, new players are entering the market, and airlines are reevaluating their strategies to stay competitive. In this dynamic environment, flexibility isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential to protect investments.
Airlines recognize that superior IFC is a crucial advantage in a highly competitive market. Today, passengers expect nothing short of a home-like connectivity experience in the air and consider the quality of the onboard Wi-Fi experience when purchasing tickets.
IFC service providers serving airlines are rapidly developing solutions to provide such a competitive edge. Airlines must choose solutions that offer the utmost flexibility for a future that will see even higher customer expectations. Making the right decisions today will prepare airlines to meet those expectations while also controlling costs.
A market in motion
In the last two years, there have been technology choices that would have been unheard of just a few years ago. Airlines are asking for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity in the RFPs they issue, as well as multi-orbit solutions. Contract awards have gone out to LEO-only and multi-orbit IFC service providers.
Here are some other examples that highlight a fast-evolving landscape:
- Vertically integrated IFC solutions that can immediately improve performance but could limit an airline’s options to pivot later if better technology or business strategies emerge.
- Several airlines, including Air Canada, are exploring the addition of a second terminal to their aircraft to achieve multi-orbit connectivity.
- Continued development of electronically steered antennas (ESAs), which will be gaining maturity in the coming years.
Key considerations to protect IFC investments
In today’s dynamic IFC landscape, here are the critical considerations airlines should keep in mind to ensure they make futureproof IFC investments:
- Global coverage, ultra-low latency: Pole-to-pole coverage and latency levels that enable real-time applications to work without lag—even on polar routes. A global LEO satellite network combines pole-to-pole coverage and ultra-low latency. It enables the right passenger experience no matter how far north the route brings the aircraft.
- Guaranteed performance: The most advanced Ka-band LEO satellite networks can deliver data rates of more than 1 Gbps to each airplane in a fleet, even when planes are flying through congested flight corridors converge toward the busiest airport hubs. This performance should be backed by service level agreements (SLAs) with committed information rates.
- Built-in reliability and security: The most reliable satellite network architectures include mechanisms for uplink diversity and seamless switchovers across terrestrial landing stations. They also include multiple optical links between satellites. Secure satellite networks employ a Zero-Trust Architecture, incorporating built-in cybersecurity mechanisms at every level, rather than relying on add-on measures. These networks align with major government and cybersecurity industry standards and are monitored 24x7x365 from a cybersecurity operations centre.
- Flexible, futureproof antennas: Antennas that can communicate with satellites in multiple orbits make it faster and easier to continue improving IFC offerings. For example, airlines can start with a mix of GEO, and LEO satellite connectivity today and evolve to next-generation LEO connectivity over time without needing to change aircraft antennas. It’s also important to consider whether the IFC solution locks the airline into using antennas from a single vendor. An open ecosystem of Ka-band ESAs and flat panel antennas from multiple vendors enables the development of tailored solutions and seamless upgrades.
- Operational and business impact: Beyond passenger satisfaction, exceptional IFC enables airlines to leverage real-time data and advanced technologies, such as AI, to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. LEO solutions that give the IFC provider the ability to tailor their plans provide the best opportunities to align cost models with financial goals and budget reality.
Advanced technologies and a collaborative approach make the difference
Two key factors set Telesat Lightspeed apart in this turbulent IFC marketplace: The LEO network includes all of the advanced technologies required to futureproof IFC investments and Telesat collaborates with leading satellite operators, service providers, and terminal manufacturers to provide freedom of choice.
As I recently told Runway Girl Network in an exclusive interview, this approach is designed to give airlines maximum commercial flexibility, performance, and long-term value. In a market full of fast-moving technology and strategic pivots, that’s a rare kind of stability.
