Intelsat and Phasor Partner on
New Antenna Technology to Enable Ku-band Broadband
Connectivity to Civil and Government Small-Jet Aviation
Marketplace
16 March 2015
Intelsat S.A. announced the completion of a series of tests
demonstrating the compatibility of the Intelsat EpicNG digital
payload with existing ground equipment platforms. The
digital payload is one of many unique design features on the
company’s Intelsat EpicNG satellites, the first
of which, Intelsat 29e, is scheduled to launch in the first
quarter of 2016.
Building upon the company’s recent investments in innovative
antenna technology and platforms, Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I),
the world’s leading provider of satellite services,
announced today that it signed an agreement to co-design and
produce an ultra-thin, active phased array, Ku-band
satellite antenna solution with Phasor Inc., a leading
developer of high throughput, modular, electronically
steerable antennas (ESAs).
The innovative Ku-band antennas will be developed
exclusively for Intelsat and optimized for the Intelsat EpicNG high
throughput satellite (HTS) platform, the first satellite of
which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2016.
This also marks the first cost-effective fuselage-mount
Ku-band antenna suitable for installation on civil and
government small-jets, which represent an underserved
segment of the fast-growing aviation broadband market.
According to recent research reports, the civil and
government small-jet markets are expected to experience
significant growth, particularly in the developing markets
around the world. EuroConsult reports: “The number of
business jets is expected to grow from 18,400 in 2013 to
26,200 in 2023.” Seventy-five percent of civil small-jet
passengers are high-level corporate executives who consider
these aircraft “offices in the sky” with a need for
broadband service that is as important in the air as it is
in the workplace on the ground. When used in conjunction
with Intelsat EpicNG Ku-band satellites, the
Phasor antenna technology is expected to enable broadband
speeds to small-jets of over 15Mbit/s to the aircraft and 5
Mbit/s from the aircraft.
Stephen Spengler, Intelsat’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer,
said, “The high power of the Intelsat EpicNG platform
combined with Phasor’s innovative antenna technology will
unlock new market opportunities for both companies in the
aviation sector. Today’s business and leisure travelers are
demanding broadband connectivity in-flight in order to
maximize their time and productivity so that they can keep
up in today’s fast moving environment. Together, Intelsat
and Phasor will provide service providers and aircraft
manufacturers with more flexibility and choice as we help
deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to passengers and
aircraft operations that is efficient and highly reliable.”
Phasor’s ultra-thin, fuselage-mount active array antenna is
expected to deliver significantly higher broadband speeds to
civil and government small-jets via Intelsat EpicNG Ku-band
satellites. The antenna’s small size and low profile allows
for easy integration onto small-jet aircraft’s structure.
Being fully electronic, the antenna will be able to
seamlessly and reliably steer to beams on Intelsat’s global
Ku-band satellite fleet. The unique size and scalability of
the Phasor antenna will allow service providers and aircraft
operators to create a very high gain antenna array and RF
performance resulting in dramatically higher speed broadband
connectivity and greater geographical coverage at a much
lower installation and operating cost.
David Helfgott, CEO of Phasor, commented, “We are very
pleased to partner with Intelsat and bring to the Small-Jet
Aviation Marketplace a unique solution designed to meet the
ever-growing demands for mobile broadband service. Combined
with Intelsat’s innovative EpicNG satellite
constellation, these markets for the first time will
experience high bandwidth services enabled by a truly
revolutionary antenna solution.”
