Connectivity.qxp_Finance 21/05/2019 10:32 Page 2
AVBUYER.com
How Much Jet Connectivity do you Really Need? What should an aircraft owner be asking when deciding which cabin connectivity solution works best for them?
How much is too much, and what are the mistakes that would lead to too little? Dave Higdon asks
Gogo’s Brian Wilson and SmartSky’s Nancy Walker…
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ike so many business decisions, selecting the right hardware and service for your aircraft’s in-flightconnectivity (IFC) system involves questions of balance. Understanding what the aircraft can accommodate is just one of the many decisions the process involves. The ideal is to install a system capable of handling all of the demands you will place on it at the promised speed and bandwidths. Preferably this will be achieved for as little money as possible. But how do you assess what you really need and arrive at your goal?
How Much Jet Connectivity Would You Like?
Brian Wilson, director, key accounts at Gogo Business Aviation offers some insights: “The first question,” he explains, “cuts through the glitz. “When a client recently transitioned from a Beechcraft King Air to a Dassault Falcon 50, they sat down with us seeking to understand what solutions are out there. The first thing I asked them to describe is what they thought would make a great passenger experience.” Some clients will want everything – immediately – streamed to their cabin. Others might specify use of email as being important in-flight whereas watching a movie or listening to music will be secondary on their wish-list. “To do this right you need to start with a trusted advisor,” Wilson stipulates. That advisor should know which options are viable for the aircraft, the hardware options, the costs and the service options. www.AVBUYER.com
Jet Connectivity: Where Will You Fly?
While satellite systems would work as a solution virtually anywhere on the planet, these tend to use larger antennae and higheroutput hardware – so not every aircraft can accommodate all of the system options. The key question, notes Nancy Walker, chief commercial officer, SmartSky Network, is where you predominantly will fly. “Is it within the US, or do you fly – or expect to fly – a lot of over-water flying? If your flight profiles are split between over-ground and over-water, we'll recommend you look at a hybrid system.” Even if aircraft size allows the use of a satellite-based system, Walker elaborates, a hybrid system with a ground-basedconnectivity option can perform better, saving on connection costs. But if over-water international operations aren't in the equation, a system like the ground-based network of SmartSky Networks or Gogo can deliver lower costs on installation and usage. Having established what comes top of a client’s wish-list and where you need to fly, Wilson and Walker address issues common to almost all users.
How Will Your Jet Connectivity Needs Grow?
Another relevant question for selecting a new or upgraded cabin connectivity system is what you see yourself needing to do on-board the aircraft. Better still, what do you anticipate wanting to do, in the future? “We look at what's coming in the market as well as what's AVBUYER MAGAZINE ❘ Vol 23 Issue 6 ❘
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