Global Eagle Entertainment has successfully tested Gilat’s in-flight connectivity high-power transceiver, the Aerostream 40Ku, achieving DO-160G certification. Production units are planned to be shipped for usage in commercial aircraft, starting in the second quarter of 2021.
Wavestream’s AeroStream 40Ku transceiver is designed for exceptionally high- reliability, with a field-reported Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) of greater than 30,000 flight hours. The high-power transceiver incorporates the latest in Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology and enables more return bandwidth from the plane back to the satellite than previous generations. The successful completion of environmental conditions testing for airborne equipment, DO-160G, brings the transceiver a step closer to airworthiness and Supplemental Type Certification (STC).
“The true partnership between Global Eagle and Wavestream was evident in the joint engineering effort to bring about the DO-160G certification for Wavestream’s high power AeroStream 40Ku transceiver,” said Bob Huffman, Wavestream’s General Manager. “This achievement increases our already industry-leading reliability and performance in IFC transceivers and extends Wavestream’s leadership in the Ku-band IFC business area, which currently stands at 30 million flight hours and counting.”
