Representing a series of ‘firsts’, on-air voice call is significant step for
Cobham SATCOM system and Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband safety service
LYNGBY, Denmark - Cobham SATCOM has
announced that the first call has been made using its revolutionary
AVIATOR 200S system over Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband satellite
communications service. The 'on air' milestone represents a
significant step forward in making AVIATOR 200S - the first
of several upcoming solutions in the AVIATOR S Series product range
- available for airlines and coincides with the anticipated
approval of Inmarsat's new generation SwiftBroadband - Safety
service in 2016.
The on-air voice call was achieved using the AVIATOR 200S CSDU
(Compact Satellite Data Unit) and HELGA (combined HLD and Enhanced
LGA) antenna over the Inmarsat LDR (Low Data Rate) bearer type.
Carried out in a laboratory environment, the breakthrough
represents a significant step forward in the development of the
system and was notable as:
- The first voice call through an AVIATOR 200S CSDU
- The first IP data session through an AVIATOR 200S CSDU
- The first ever voice and data calls through a HELGA
antenna
- The first ever voice and data calls through a Class 4 Radio
Module
- The first ever voice and data calls over LDR bearers
Kim Gram, vice president of Cobham SATCOM's aeronautical
business unit, said: "This is another important milestone in the
evolution of our game-changing AVIATOR S Series, allowing airlines
to e-enable their fleet with a previously unseen versatile and
economic satcom solution.
"The first call is particularly significant as it represents a
new solution running on a new service - a double first! Our teams
in Lyngby and Cape Town have worked hard to achieve this impressive
landmark. This is a very big step towards our first customer
shipment, and shows that we are on track for release of AVIATOR
200S as planned.
"We believe the significantly smaller, lighter and easier to
install hardware associated with the SwiftBroadband ACARS data
services, represented by our AVIATOR S series product range, will
provide aircraft manufacturers and airlines with a route towards
significant changes in operational efficiencies and, not least, in
flight situation awareness and safety."
Mary McMillan, vice president of aviation safety and operational
services at Inmarsat, said: "We congratulate our partner Cobham
SATCOM on the achievement represented by the first successful call.
Powered by Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband - Safety, the AVIATOR 200S
represents a major advancement of satcom technology and, together,
provide the next generation aviation safety communications platform
for the global aviation community."
The ground-breaking AVIATOR S Series provides satcom solutions
for the airline fleet of tomorrow for the purpose of Air Traffic
Control (ATC) and Aircraft Operation Control (AOC). Using
SwiftBroadband safety services to transmit ACARS data, AVIATOR S
Series enables secure data communication, IP connectivity and
multiple voice capabilities. The combination of IP and ACARS data
pipes allows network integration with a portfolio of data housing
and transmitting components on the aircraft such as cockpit,
Electronic Flight Bag devices (EFB), onboard maintenance computers
and devices used by the crew to service passengers.
Smaller, lighter and more cost-effective than current sat com
systems, AVIATOR 200S reduces the number of LRUs on the aircraft
from 4 to 2.
For further information please visit www.cobham.com/satcom.
About Cobham SATCOM
Providing dependable communications and internet access
anywhere under the most demanding conditions.
Our satellite and radio communication terminals perform in the
most challenging and remote environments on land, at sea and in the
air.
We design and manufacture these high performance products under
the AVIATOR, EXPLORER, SAILOR and Sea Tel brands providing
customers with outstanding performance, value and support through
our global sales and service network.
About Cobham
The most important thing we build is trust.
We protect lives and livelihoods with our differentiated
technology and know-how, operating with a deep insight into
customer needs and agility. Our innovative range of technologies
and services solve challenging problems in harsh environments
across commercial, defence and security markets, from deep space to
the depths of the ocean, specialising in meeting the growing demand
for data, connectivity and bandwidth.
We employ more than 12,000 people on five continents, and have
customers and partners in over 100 countries, with market leading
positions in: wireless, audio, video and data communications,
including satellite communications; defence electronics; air-to-air
refuelling; aviation services; life support and mission
equipment.
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