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Satcom Direct, OneWeb, and
QEST ratify development of Electronic Phased Array
antenna together
23 May 2022
Satcom Direct, the business
aviation solutions provider, announces today at
EBACE 2022, a new three-way partnership agreement
with OneWeb, the global communications company
powered from space, and QEST, Quantenelektronische
Systeme GmbH, a worldwide market leader in
innovative aeronautical antennas.
The collaboration is to
progress development of an Electronic Phased Array
antenna to support OneWeb’s advancing mobility
services. The agreement also covers a long-term
distribution partner agreement where SD will market
and sell OneWeb’s high-speed, low latency inflight
broadband services. Development
has already begun on the flat-panel antenna with
initial demonstrator technology scheduled to
validate over-the-air performance, in small form
factor across the OneWeb satellite constellation in
Q4 2022.
Designed for smaller aircraft
the lightweight, low profile, modular antenna will
deliver high-speed, broadband connectivity to this
aircraft category for the first time. Together SD,
OneWeb and QEST will enable passengers and operators
to be more productive and enjoy more leisure time
during flight via global broadband connectivity.
Market introduction of the flat panel,
fuselage mounted, electronic phased array antenna is
anticipated for availability in 2024, with OneWeb
aviation services set to launch in 2023.
Neil Masterson, CEO at OneWeb
said: “At OneWeb, we partner with specialists to
bring our reliable, high-speed and low latency
connectivity to those industries that need to be
connected, no matter where they are in the world.
That’s why we are delighted to partner with
connectivity market leader Satcom Direct, and
innovative hardware manufacturer QEST, because
together we look forward to transforming the
connectivity landscape for business aviation. SD
brings a stellar reputation as a distribution
partner for OneWeb, with its maturity in the market
and solid heritage around the world.”
“Connectivity supports much
more than just communications and we are investing
in antenna development through our Plane Simple™
program, to deliver secure, flexible, reliable
solutions to a wider segment of the business and
government aviation communities than ever before.
This is a truly ground-breaking collaboration which
is setting out to bring OneWeb’s powerful
connectivity to a much-underserved sector of our
business aviation community. We are proud to be part
of such an innovative, and dynamic group of
companies, that will change the way in which small
jets, and general aviation operators connect with
the world,” said Jim Jensen, CEO Satcom Direct.
Through the SD ecosystem of
hardware, software and infrastructure owners will be
supported by a single resource for connectivity
acquisition and support, as well as third party
software integration capabilities via the SD Pro
operating system to enhance flight operations and
safety.
“Having worked closely with SD
to develop the first of the Plane Simple antennas we
recognize that there is a large sector of the market
that still needs powerful connectivity that
guarantees excellent performance and optimal use of
the satellite services,” says Dr Jörg Oppenländer,
CEO of QEST Antenna Technology GmbH. The impressive
SD global customer service offering, combined with
the strength of the OneWeb constellation, and our
experience of developing reliable, highly advanced,
antenna systems, will provide customers with
ultimate connectivity efficiencies,” adds
Oppenländer.
QEST is already partnering with
SD in developing the Plane Simple tail-mount antenna
series and was integral in delivering the first
Plane Simple variant on schedule.
The electronic phased array antenna represents the
third antenna in the SD Plane Simple antenna series.
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