APEX: APEX Tech Webinar: Are Inter-Satellite Links the Future of IFC ?
This discussion led into the first of the webinar’s key topics: “Tailwinds propelling airlines toward broadband mega-constellations.” [NSR Consultant] Grady set the scene with a short presentation outlining the fact that many LEO satellites, with their smaller area of focus compared to GEOs, spend their time over the ocean where there’s no target population, creating the need for operators to maximize their utilization by honing in on mobility routes.
Although an “integrated solution” may work best for the end-user, there are still questions about what this would look like. Grady argued, “The word “hybrid” means so many different things to different people. Does it mean having multiple providers, like we see in the US? Does it mean having a hybrid fleet, with some aircraft using GEO and some using LEO connectivity? The list goes on.”