AceAxis has announced that they have signed a development and manufacturing agreement with Thales, under which they will adapt their remote radio head (RRH) design for use in a system providing broadband Internet connectivity to passengers on board commercial aircrafts.
The AceAxis RRH will be a key component in this new Complementary Ground Component (CGC) terminal, which Thales is developing and manufacturing for use with Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) high-speed in-flight connectivity solution. EAN is the first system to integrate a LTE-based ground network with satellite communications to provide aviation passenger connectivity.
The CGC terminal Thales is developing will be fitted onto aircraft to provide a crucial link with the LTE-based ground network, and the system will switch automatically between satellite and terrestrial connectivity to provide a seamlessly optimised broadband service to passengers, wherever they are flying within Europe.
The European Aviation Network is expected to enter service in 2017, following completion of development work and system trials.
