Business aviation support company Arinc Direct and Rockwell Collins have been awarded a contract for the installation and certification of the Rockwell Collins eXchange satellite broadband communication system on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ).

The system is currently being prepared for installation in a BBJ2 undergoing completion by Associated Air Center in Dallas for a private customer. The installation will be performed by Arinc’s Colorado Springs facility using an in-house STC, marking the first time that a BBJ has been equipped with the eXchange system with SkyLink service.

The Ku-band terminal hardware has previously been installed on smaller high-end aircraft such as the Gulfstream IV, G450, V, G550 and the Cessna Citation X. It provides business aircraft a high-speed Internet connection with speeds as high as 3.5 mbps for what Arinc describes as an “office in the sky” experience. The eXchange platform allows users access to e-mail, Internet, voice over IP (VoIP) global telephone service and video-conferencing. The system also allows for Wi-Fi-equipped smartphones to gain e-mail and data connectivity.

According to Arinc, its recently expanded SkyLink network will enable customers to fly from Europe to North America, across the Caribbean and down to South America without experiencing an interruption of connectivity.