Page 84 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2025

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SpaceX Expands Starlink In-Flight Wi-Fi to 500 Planes

SpaceX is seeing major progress in making annual progress report for 2024. Starlink is Scandinavian Airlines, among others. An
Starlink an in-flight perk, officially install- often faster than other in-flight Wi-Fi ser- FAQ from SpaceX adds that Starlink equip-
ing the satellite internet system on 500 vices, with download speeds ranging from ment currently supports two Airbus and
planes. SpaceX began integrating Starlink 40 to 220Mbps for passengers, according two Boeing aircraft models, including the
in commercial planes in spring 2022 and to SpaceX. On a March 2023 test flight with 737 and 777, in addition to several small-
announced its latest milestone this week. regional carrier JSX, PCMag found that er passenger jets. For airlines, the Starlink
"500 planes and more every day," SpaceX Starlink downloads averaged 126Mbps, equipment isn’t cheap. In the past, the com-
VP for Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls with uploads at 7.6Mbps. More Americans pany charged $150,000 to install a dish on
tweeted. This is a huge increase from the will also start encountering Starlink on a plane and $10,000 per month to receive
end of 2023, when Starlink was installed their flights this year. United Airlines plans unlimited internet data. SpaceX also sup-
and used on about 80 aircraft, with anoth- to install it on hundreds of passenger jets ports customers using its Starlink Mini dish
er 400 planes on contract to receive the before the end of the year and start roll- on small planes. But the company notes:
satellite internet. A year later, the compa- ing out Starlink-powered in-flight Wi-Fi this "This use of Starlink Mini has not been cer-
ny increased that to 450 aircraft, with over spring. Starlink is also coming to Hawaiian tified or otherwise approved by the FAA or
2,000 additional planes in line to receive Airlines—which has merged with Alaska any other civil aviation authority."
the satellite internet, according to SpaceX's Airlines—Qatar Airlines, Air France, and

Viasat Secures Task Order for LEO SATCOM Services Under US$13 Billion

DoD Contract

Viasat, a global leader in satellite including real-time data through an online from trusted commercial operators for
communications, announced that Inmarsat account management tool and offering defense and national security missions, it
Government (dba Viasat) received a comprehensive technical support 24/7 to is critical to have resilient communications
Task Order award to provide satellite ensure uninterrupted service. A leading architectures that include satellites in
communications (SATCOM) services under satellite services provider and network geostationary (GEO) and non-geostationary
the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) integrator, Viasat has worked with trusted orbits (NGSO). The expansion of satcom
Satellite-Based Services (SBS) Indefinite satellite owners/operators to provide services in LEO is part of a Department
Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, the bandwidth government customers of Defense (DoD) strategy to strengthen
which was awarded in 2023 to multiple require at a cost-effective price point. resilience for satellite communications,
vendors by the U.S. Defense Information As government operations increasingly remote sensing and other capabilities by
Systems Agency (DISA) on behalf of the depend on space-based capabilities diversifying and integrating the orbits used.
U.S Space Force and Space Systems
Command (SSC) Commercial Satellite
Communications Office (CSCO). This is the
first Task Order award for Viasat under the
10-year IDIQ contract, which now has an
expanded ceiling value of $13 billion. As
part of this contract, Viasat aims to provide
a suite of fully-managed LEO satellite-based
services and capabilities, to include space
relay services, supplemented by GEO and
NGSO satellites, supporting all domains
– space, air, land, maritime and cyber.
Under this initial $3.5 million Task Order,
Viasat will provide Ku-band LEO services
through a partner network to support U.S.
government operations in various global
locations. As part of this work, Viasat will
provide network management support,

84 JAN-FEB 2025