We know that business jet owners, operators and passengers want value for every cent, and an increasingly large part of the value perception is based on cabin connectivity. If the phone won’t connect or the connection is slow, the aircraft is ‘broken.’
That’s why we continue to evolve groundbreaking partnerships with carefully selected satellite network providers to ensure consistent best-in-class experiences. Our approach is agnostic, and this gives us the flexibility to develop relationships with a diverse range of technology partners. Together we are passionate about delivering the best connection experience from taxi to take-off and beyond. These partnerships take time to research and select, and then require careful thought and integration to ensure that all stakeholders are optimizing the relationship for our customers.
For the first in our Plane Simple® antenna series, we are proud to have cultivated a strong relationship with Intelsat. Just as our antennas were the first to be purpose-built for business aviation, so the Intelsat FlexExec airtime is dedicated to business aviation so it is not shared with other verticals like marine or commercial aviation. We have also expanded the relationship to incorporate FlexAir, for our government clients.
We chose this technology partner for a distinct reason. The FlexExec constellation is based on a multi-layered network of high-throughput satellites (HTS). This impressive technology ensures that highly travelled sections of the globe are covered by multiple HTS at different orbital locations overhead, rather than by a single satellite. In addition, FlexExec integrates layers of HTS coverage from Intelsat’s Epic constellation with its wide-beam satellites to add flexibility, resiliency, and redundancy.
The partnership was defined so we could integrate FlexExec and FlexAir with the SD Plane Simple® Ku-band antenna capabilities. This multi-layered architecture not only ensures capacity where needed; it also provides redundancy that ensures reliable, always-on connectivity. The result is more throughput delivered to busy areas, a better, more consistent user experience, and higher network reliability.
FlexExec network today comprises 16 satellites, including six HTS. Like Satcom Direct, Intelsat does not stop there, and the company always has one eye on the next program as it keeps moving forward. Two more HTS are scheduled to be operational this year. Once on orbit, the constellation will transmit 180+ narrow beams. The 10 wide-beam satellites can achieve maximum information rate for each aircraft, while the HTS support the connectivity needs of the increasingly demanding market, while delivering high return speeds.
To understand better what wide beams and narrow beams mean for an individual aircraft and its satcom antenna, think of a distant flashlight shining onto the side of a large building. The light cone from the flashlight spreads to cover a wide area in which any single point receives a significant level of illumination. Now imagine a laser pointer shining from the same position. Its light targets a much smaller area and is far more intense. Exchange light intensity for information or data rate, and any chosen spot within the illuminated area for an aircraft antenna, and the analogy becomes clear.
Working together, SD and Intelsat maximize the benefits of FlexExec’s unique offer and as a result, we can match our service plans to customer requirements. This ability to customize the offering delivers new and additional value, making it easier for flight departments to budget and forecast their operating costs.
FlexExec benefits from the combination of Intelsat’s space and IntelsatOne ground infrastructures, the latter reinforcing the critical role terrestrial facilities play in delivering these essential services. That extends to customer support, where Satcom Direct works in conjunction with Intelsat to monitor service delivery, ensuring experienced and knowledgeable support is always available. We will be resolving any connectivity interruptions before a customer is aware of any constraints.
The demand for bandwidth is growing exponentially as our multiple devices become ever hungrier for data. We’re not stopping either and we’re working with Intelsat as it doubles its capacity by the end of 2025, and quadruples it by the end of 2026. Four software-defined satellites are on order, allowing the dynamic allocation of resources through automated resource management based on 5G Standards. Once set in motion connectivity investment will last longer, and hardware obsolescence will be reduced as more new features and performance upgrades become software driven.
Our mission is to keep improving the experience, strengthening reliability, and optimizing the network so it dynamically allocates throughput and redundancy to where it’s needed, in space, and on the ground. We really are connecting you beyond all expectations and with our amazing technology network will continue to do so more effectively, efficiently and imaginatively in the future.
