CARLSBAD, Calif., May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat
Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, today
announced the availability of its new Ka-band Global Aero Terminal
(GAT-5518) to provide in-flight connectivity (IFC) services on
government and business aviation aircraft — from government-focused
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and fixed-wing military platforms to
VIP business and corporate jets. The compact terminal delivers the
industry's highest data rates for an 18 inch antenna, providing the
highest forward link capacity (to the aircraft) and highest
return link capacity (from the aircraft) to perform high-bandwidth
applications such as advanced video streaming services.
The GAT-5518 is the latest satellite communications (SATCOM)
innovation to join Viasat's broad portfolio of Ka-band aero antenna
systems. Use cases include:
- Government and military mission sets: The GAT-5518 can
meet a variety of requirements for UAV and fixed-wing aircraft,
from performing real-time intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR); enabling operational-support airlift
missions; moving personnel and equipment across the battlefield;
providing advanced situational awareness; en-route mission
planning; MedEvac and telemedicine services; search and rescue; and
border and maritime surveillance to name a few. Additionally, the
terminal was designed to leverage Viasat's Hybrid Adaptive Network
(HAN) architecture, which allows users to seamlessly operate across
commercial and government SATCOM networks. The HAN architecture
conceives an end-to-end network that provides mitigation against
congestion situations, intentional and unintentional interference
sources and cyber threats through implementation of layered
resiliency in highly-contested environments.
- Business and corporate jet applications: The GAT-5518
terminal delivers an enhanced solution for business and corporate
aircraft, providing VIP passengers with superior performance for
live video teleconferencing, voice calls, corporate VPN access, web
browsing and audio, video and live TV streaming among other
applications.
"We're focused on delivering advanced antenna systems that meet
in-flight connectivity requirements across multiple airframe and
end-user types," said Kent Leka,
general manager, Antenna Systems at Viasat. "In designing and
developing new aero terminals we take into consideration the broad
user base and application sets to ensure the terminal's viability
across various markets. We're confident the compact GAT-5518 will
provide broader operational flexibility to enhanced reliability and
resiliency to meet the diverse needs of business and military
users."
The GAT-5518 terminal completed the rigorous Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) D0-160G certification process. This
certification confirms the terminal's ability to provide
reliable IFC services across the full International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Ka-band spectrum, which includes
commercial and Mil-Ka frequency bands; across varying polarity
layouts; across multiple orbital regimes, including both medium
earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) satellite systems;
and across multiple network and ground
infrastructures. The terminal is also expected to be
forward-compatible, enabling it to leverage current and future
Viasat satellite systems, as well as operate over third party
satellite networks.
The terminal is made up of a two-axis steerable, two-way Ka-band
antenna with an integrated antenna control unit (ACU), an antenna
power supply unit and a modem. The GAT-5518's antenna can be tail,
fuselage or hatch-mounted.
Availability
The Viasat GAT-5518 is available today,
and was shipped ahead of schedule to key government and military
customers.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company
that believes everyone and everything in the world can be
connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how
consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world
communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global
communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable,
fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the
ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat,
visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or
follow the Company on social media at:
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors
created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements
about Viasat's GAT-5518 terminal features and advantages, including
forward compatibility, broader operational flexibility, enhanced
reliability, expected performance, interoperability and resiliency.
Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially
from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated
with satellite failures, including the effect of any anomaly,
operational failure or degradation in performance; product defects;
regulatory issues; technologies that do not perform according to
expectations; our ability to successfully develop, introduce
and sell new technologies, products and services; changes in the
global business environment and economic conditions; delays in
approving U.S. government budgets and cuts in government defense
expenditures; reduced demand for products and services as a result
of continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes
in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers
or suppliers; our reliance on a limited number of third parties to
manufacture and supply our products; increased competition; and
introduction of new technologies and other factors affecting the
communications and defense industries generally. In addition,
please refer to the risk factors contained
in Viasat's SEC filings available
at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on
which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Copyright © 2019 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the
Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of
Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used
for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viasat-delivers-industry-leading-18-inch-ka-band-in-flight-connectivity-antenna-system-for-government-and-business-aviation-customers-300858187.html
SOURCE Viasat, Inc.