Keeping Passengers Connected

Passenger demand for in-flight Wi-Fi continues to grow, and the expectation is to have the same experience in the air as they do on the ground. This week Andy Masson sits down with Ben Griffin, Vice President of Mobility at OneWeb for a deep dive on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, multi-orbit connectivity strategies, and why the industry is buzzing with excitement for these services to come online.

What is LEO?

If you haven’t seen our LEO primer yet, give it a read. Andy and Ben dive in, but the short version is that LEO satellites orbit Earth at a distance of just 160-2,000 kilometers. Much closer than their GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) or MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) counterparts. For aircraft connectivity this means airlines and passengers can tap into faster speeds, lower latency, and more capacity over the systems that are flying today.

The Multi-Orbit Approach

The combination of LEO with GEO delivers truly global coverage with LEO covering high latitudes and remote polar regions where GEO doesn’t have coverage, and GEO covering countries where LEO has yet to be approved for use. And it’s a strategy that many airlines will look to capitalize on. Listen in for Ben’s take, and why he thinks we may see a LEO only future.

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