[SatNews] In response to customer requests, ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) is adding two premium classes of Yonder® high-speed Internet service for business aviation. The new services—Yonder Premium and Yonder VIP—will provide higher data rates, compared to current Yonder service, new quality of service assurances, and enhanced network operations and field engineering customer support. These higher levels of service, along with the rollout of a 60 percent increase in capacity for the worldwide network, will provide an improved customer experience for high bandwidth consuming applications such as multimedia streaming and video teleconferencing.
Starting in summer 2013, aircraft operators will be able to select from three distinct airborne Internet service levels offered through monthly subscriptions designed for predictable flight department budgeting:
- Yonder Internet for web browsing, e-mail, VoIP, and office applications
- Yonder Premium for multimedia streaming and video teleconferencing, in addition to web browsing and office-in-the sky applications
- Yonder VIP that is designed to support a high number of Internet connections and simultaneous multimedia streaming sessions or video teleconferences for transport-category aircraft
“After years of experience in providing satellite service to general aviation and government aircraft, we recognize the need to expand our services. We’re keeping pace with the proliferation of always-connected devices now making their way on board,” said Paul Baca, VP/GM of ViaSat Global Mobile Broadband. “These new Yonder services are one example of our commitment to giving customers the flexibility to choose systems and services that fit a variety of customer communication profiles.”
Yonder VIP service is enabled by expanded ViaSat business aviation terminal options, including the VMT-1524 shipset for transport-category aircraft. The VMT-1524 uses a fuselage mounted antenna that can deliver higher speed data to the aircraft. Yonder and Yonder Premium services are delivered through the VMT-1500 shipset already installed on more than 200 large cabin business aircraft, as well as government and military aircraft operating around the globe.