Predicted by multiple analysts, consolidation in the aero connectivity industry is in progress. The recent acquisition of  Satcom Direct by Gogo shows how such process is at work on all market segments, in this case for business aviation, but also possibly for other non-commercial segments, such as Government and Defence.

This article by RGN provides some insight about Airbus’s views on connectivity, and especially on HBCplus pivotal role in enabling this vision.

With the official announcement of Open Orbits, SES and its partners create the first multi-orbits, multi-operators satellite network allowing seamless access to high-bandwidth connectivity on a global basis. The articulation of SES capabilities with regional players create an interesting dynamic, especially over territories like China and India, for which connectivity operations are more regulated. By multiple strategic moves, including its approval for Airbus HBCplus, SES has become a major player in the industry.

After the acquisition of Inmarsat by Viasat, further consolidation in the industry is under way, as SES intends to purchase Intelsat. Closing of the transaction is scheduled for second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. While obvious synergies and potential for growth are identified, one key driver explaining such move might also be the competition of non-GEO operators.

NetForecast CEO was interviewed by Mary Kirby during AIX and presented their recent report on IFC QoE. The interview is available on RGN website, as well as on YouTube. It provides an interesting comparison between GEO and LEO services. Using Apdex (Application Performance Index), performance was compared for every app category (messaging, streaming, cloud, etc.), and both latency and services interruption have been measured. From a strategic perspective, we believe such discrepancies should lead to dramatic price adjustment in the medium term. An insightful reading, helping to understand the fierce competition preparing in the skies.

This recent article by Mary Kirby and RGN definitely caught our attention. Some of us will remember that the love story between airlines and OTT services is not recent (JetBlue and Amazon, a long time ago, amongst others). While such a topic is of interest for many travelers, who would rather watch their own-curated content sourced from their preferred service – without planning a download, it currently faces a number of limitations. For how long? And for which market segments?

You’ll need a premium subscription to PaxEx.aero to read the full version of this article by Seth Miller, questioning the new ‘frictionless’ model pushed by Starlink to its first airline customers. While the pros are kind of obvious, the cons are much more subtile. Are airlines offered a modern version of the Faustian pact?

When digital sky meets digital infrastructures: OneWeb and AWS have announced a strategic agreement to bundle broadband connectivity with AWS cloud services and edge computing capabilities.

This short article by Jason Rainbow for SpaceNews questions the impact of current low-sided economic perspectives on IFEC activities, and is supported by data from EuroConsult. Is free service the proper strategy in such a context? Or is it not?

Euroconsult, a leading expert group for satellite connectivity announced  on a global scale that Capacity Pricing for fixed-satellite services Continues to Decrease in line with the expansion of HTS Supply and Services.    This is certainly a trend for the future  – capacity exceeding demand. Will operators maintain their prices by adding new value-adding services?

Inmarsat provides an interesting perspective on how Qatar Airways, as the official airline sponsor of the event, provided live streaming of the FIFA World cup, and how this contributed to shaping the connectivity landscape.

A few months after the launch of Airbus HBCplus at AIX with Inmarsat, the concept gained momentum with the official announcement at APEX Expo of SES joining the Managed Service Providers catalogue. 

Brilliant perspectives for the inflight connectivity market, according to Euroconsult as they launch their latest report. Will airlines succeed in keeping a strategic position in the value chain, and obtain a fair share of the value created? Or is it an operator’s game?

The recent launch of Airbus HBCplus during AIX 2022 is certainly a key element for the new connectivity landscape. As airlines will be able to purchase connectivity as an SFE linefit option, the promise of a frictionless market is emerging. The terminal being limited to Ka band for the moment, it is no surprise that Inmarsat Gx was selected as the first MSP by Airbus – a bit like DI was one of the first wireless IFE providers to be selected on AirSpace Link (former OSP). We are curious to see when HBC+ will extend to additional MSPs and other technologies.

A white-paper commissioned by OneWeb and based on a passenger survey confirms high expectations and equally high frustration of passengers when it comes to inflight connectivity.

Not for the faint-hearted, and quite technical, this research paper from the MIT (Pachler, del Portillo, Crawley, Cameron) is a wealth of information and will definitely help understanding the key mechanisms behind LEO constellations, and how they differ. One of our tech team’s favourites!

We loved this article by Tom Batchelor in Key.aero – providing an historical perspective on inflight connectivity, and presenting the successive technology shifts. If you are not too familiar with the topic, this is a must-read introduction.