SmartSky Opens Southeast Corridor Ahead of Planned 2021 Launch

CJP Diamond partner SmartSky Networks recently announced the completion of all technical milestones and the opening of the first fully operational coverage zone of its next-generation inflight Broadband Air-to-Ground (ATG) communications network, enabling route-based flight demonstrations and marking an inflection point on its path to certification and commercial launch later this year.

With the announcement, SmartSky reported it has now proven its ability to provide office-grade, bi-directional, multi-Mbps inflight connectivity with very low latency for business jet and turboprop flights transiting the network’s Southeastern corridor that covers a large contiguous portion of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

“While our primary goal remains lighting up the remainder of the nationwide network in the coming months, today we are showcasing the unparalleled inflight networking capabilities and advanced services that SmartSky is bringing to market for the connected aircraft ecosystem of operators, manufacturers, service providers and passengers,” said SmartSky CEO David Helfgott.

The company reports months of successful field testing to ensure the entire system performs to specification, including seamless site-to-site handover across varying speeds, altitudes and ranges with consistently high data throughput above both rural and densely populated urban areas.

SmartSky’s patented beamforming and spectrum reuse technologies successfully performed across sectors and sites throughout the entire corridor, proving the network’s design functions well even in the presence of high signal noise from ground-based Wi-Fi systems.

“It’s a testament to the strength of our technical team and supplier-partners, as together we’ve successfully developed and fielded a feature-complete, game-changing service based on an optimal mix of proven 4G LTE and emerging 5G technologies that have been adapted to and optimized for the aviation use-case,” said Dave Claassen, SmartSky’s chief technology officer.

Protected by a portfolio of over 200 patents, SmartSky’s use of secure, scalable beamforming technology and unlicensed spectrum delivers an unequalled service experience and unique advantages for inflight communications. Learn more at www.smartskynetworks.com or by contacting Jennifer Kearney, Event Marketing Manager, at jennifer.kearney@smartskynetworks.com.