Transport Canada has issued an STC to Bombardier Business Aircraft for installation of its Wave (Wireless Access Virtually Everywhere) Ka-band satcom system in the Global 5000 and 6000. The Ka-band satcom system is now available as an option on the new Globals and will be retrofittable on in-service Global 5000s and 6000s. 

The Wave system includes Honeywell’s new JetWave hardware, which delivers high-speed service over Inmarsat’s new JetConnex Ka-band satellites. Testing by Bombardier included “extensive flight hours” to ensure that the equipment remained connected to the satellites “at various altitudes, angles and speeds, through several different types of weather and over land and water.” Ka-band service allows seamless passenger videoconferencing, Internet browsing and online video streaming over most of the globe, except for the North and South Poles.

Typical download speeds range from 1 to 15 Mbps and upload speeds 0.25 to 1.8 Mbps, depending on the service level purchased. Service providers Satcom1, GoGo Business Aviation, Arinc Direct, Satcom Direct and OnAir are selling data rate packages at the various speeds, including “pre-defined subscription service packages based on a monthly volume data allowance that include both committed and maximum upload and download rates,” according to Bombardier.

“This is an important milestone, as Bombardier is the first business aircraft manufacturer to make ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi services available in flight globally and the first to offer performance commitments for network availability and speed,” said Paul Sislian, COO of Bombardier Business Aircraft.

“This is a game-changing moment for business aviation as passengers will now be able to consistently stay connected to fast and consistent Wi-Fi even when they are flying over water on long-haul flights,” noted Honeywell Aerospace vice president for business and general aviation Kristin Slyker.