ARINC Tests Its Ku-Band Receiver

Communications Today, August 14, 2002

Annapolis, Md.-based ARINC tested a true broadband communications receiver for aircraft that has the potential to receive data at rates of 8 Mbps to10 Mbps--up to 10 times faster than other commercial designs, company officials said. The ARINC system uses Ku-band satellite technology at ultrahigh frequencies to achieve an order of magnitude higher performance than other systems. ViaSat builds the ARINC system transceiver.

In-flight reception tests of the ARINC system were conducted at Wichita, Kansas, using a steerable, tail-mounted dish antenna on a Cessna Citation X aircraft. The movable antenna locked onto stationary Ku-band broadcast satellites in space and tracked them reliably during extensive test maneuvers, company officials said.