Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC) has installed the Satcom Direct Router (SDR), SD WiFi Hubs and GlobalVT on an ACJ320. It is the first time that the SDR, two SD WiFi Hubs and SD’s GlobalVT have been integrated together, providing a complete cabin connectivity solution.
The newly released SD WiFi Hub is a wireless access point that, when installed with the SDR in large-cabin aircraft, expands capability and enhances connectivity performance – for example, allowing the internet to be used to make telephone calls. SD says the Hubs add additional interfaces where needed, simplifying the installation and improving wi-fi coverage. It says the Hubs also support HD media products and applications for all passengers, eliminating buffering and gaps in cabin coverage by providing up to 900Mbps additional data rate to the cabin with both 2.4 and 5Ghz 802.11n radios. The SD WiFi Hub is 1in tall.
The SDR provides the gateway to the full spectrum of SD’s services for the cabin, including GlobalVT, which allows passengers to use their smartphones in flight with their own number and caller ID. The SD products are designed to enable optimum performance of smartphones, laptops and tablets during flight. Passengers can make and receive calls, texts and email, and connect to the internet and stream data.
“We’re seeing increasing demand for our products on narrow- and wide-body aircraft,” said Chris Moore, chief commercial officer at SD. “Clients choose SD not only for the performance and reliability of our products, but also because of our ongoing technical support. Many passengers rely on connectivity in the air so it needs to be robust, reliable and resilient. With this suite, Airbus is assured of providing a state-of-the-art solution to these needs.”
October 20, 2016