Alcatel-Lucent and Inmarsat are partnering in development of a high-speed “hybrid” satcom/air-to-ground (ATG) telecom network for airlines and business aviation in Europe. The system promises speeds of up to 75 Mbps, about 50 percent faster than Inmarsat’s upcoming GX satcom system and “far in excess of the limited capabilities of North American ATG systems,” according to Inmarsat.

The new system combines Alcatel-Lucent’s 4G LTE S-band technology with Inmarsat’s S-band Europasat and it will offer service “Europe-wide.” The companies are working together on the ground network to enable the new broadband network and they have applied for licenses in all EU member states and received authorization in 23 states so far, according to Inmarsat. The company didn’t identify any equipment partners or early customers, but said that discussions continue.

No information on pricing of the service is available yet, although field trials of the Alcatel-Lucent 4G LTE ATG system were done in 2011. Commercial service is scheduled to begin by the end of 2016. “These enhanced capabilities across Europe will be offered alongside Inmarsat’s GX aviation services, extending Inmarsat’s broadband service coverage for aviation passengers seamlessly,” said Leo Mondale, president of Inmarsat Aviation.