Honeywell Aerospace, Inmarsat and Kymeta (a company that develops flat-panel antennas for satellite communications), are working together to design, create and test a higher-speed Ka-band wireless antenna for business and commercial aircraft customers around the globe.
The companies say the new antenna will bring faster connectivity and higher quality, and that the smaller and more compact design will allow the antenna to be installed on a wider variety of aircraft, including smaller business aviation aircraft. They also say the flat-panel design is lighter and will reduce weight and drag on the aircraft, in turn reducing fuel and maintenance costs.
Kymeta will deliver its mTenna antenna products to Honeywell, which will be responsible for testing and integrating the antenna into its JetWave aviation product line. JetWave is the family of satellite communications hardware that supports Inmarsat’s GX Aviation service.
“Honeywell and Inmarsat changed the connectivity landscape in 2012 when they announced GX Aviation with the goal of bringing reliable, high-speed connectivity to the skies,” said Dr Nathan Kundtz, Kymeta’s president and CEO. “Now, with mTenna technology from Kymeta, Honeywell’s terminal solutions, and Inmarsat’s global service portfolio, we will be able to expand upon Honeywell and Inmarsat’s commitment to high-speed global aviation connectivity.”
April 17, 2015
