March 5, 2017 – Gilat Satellite Networks, a satellite networking company, has developed a high-performance dual Ka / Ku-band aero antenna with Hughes Network Systems, a leader in broadband satellite technology networks and services. According to the companies the antenna – the result of nearly two years of development work – is agnostic to the underlying VSAT modem technology and service platform.
Advantages of a dual antenna include continuous broadband connectivity for commercial aircraft traveling air routes that require a combination of Ka and Ku coverage to serve the full journey (including most trans-oceanic routes as well as major continental regions such as Latin America, Asia and Europe), and favorable weight and drag characteristics versus the use of two separate antennas. Gilat and Hughes also say that the antenna further meets the volume requirements for radome line-fit installations on both Airbus and Boeing aircraft, while optimizing its aperture size under the available volume.
“The Gilat/Hughes partnership has resulted in one of the most innovative development projects in the global IFC space,” said Michael Barak, VP of the mobility division at Gilat. “The antenna development is based on our long-standing expertise in mobile satellite antennas and aero transceivers and plays a key part in Gilat’s IFC strategy. We believe that the antenna will enable IFC service providers to select the most efficient satellite solution for global connectivity well into the future.”
