There’s big news from Hughes Network Systems and Delta Air Lines, who have selected the Hughes In-Flight connectivity solution to power passenger Wi-Fi service on more than 400 Boeing 717 and regional jets serving North America.
This covers the Boeing 717 fleet, Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900 and Embraer E-175 fleets
The program is already underway and on schedule with initial installations expected to begin in mid-2024. The Hughes In-Flight management system is made up of a multi-orbit antenna and Hughes JUPITER Ka-band satellite capacity to deliver reliable in-flight connectivity (IFC) even over busy airport hubs.
This solution enables a consistent passenger IFC experience at scale across the entire itinerary.
Capable of operating on JUPITER-enabled Ka-band high-throughput satellites around the world, Hughes In-Flight supports seamless roaming across JUPITER-driven satellites. The solution is forward-compatible with the Hughes JUPITER 3 ultra-high-density satellite, the largest commercial communications satellite ever built, which launched in July and will enter service later this year.
It is also compatible with additional Ka-band satellite systems, providing airlines with an onramp to even wider coverage and lower latency services as they come online.
In Quotes
Reza Rasoulian, vice president, Hughes said
“Hughes welcomes Delta and appreciates their collaborative approach to enabling an enhanced connectivity experience for their regional passengers,”
“Travelers expect a reliable Wi-Fi experience wherever they go, including in the air; the Hughes In-Flight connectivity solution enables Delta to meet that expectation with fast gate-to-gate connectivity.”
Glenn Latta, managing director, In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity, Delta.
“Delta is committed to delivering a reliable Wi-Fi experience to all our passengers, including those flying on our regional carriers,”
“Our partnership with Hughes to create a low-weight, high-capability, gate-to-gate solution for our regional fleet brings us ever closer to fleet-wide connectivity at the speed and reliability our customers expect and unlocks our ability to elevate the experience further in the years to come.”
A big win for Hughes
Hughes may not be a provider some of you are familiar with, but they’ve been a player in the IFC space for some years – with their Modems and antennas showing up in all sorts of installations. This is one of the first wins they’ve had as a direct-to-airline IFC deal, and notably, it is with the airline operating the 2nd largest fleet in the world.
That shows an element of trust in delivery, as well as an expectation of the speeds that Delta will be expecting for passenger devices.
With 400 installs across the regional and smaller aircraft fleet, it will upgrade the connectivity where it was limited before – aligning with Delta’s offer to offer free gate-to-gate wifi.
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on Twitter, Mastodon, BlueSky, Threads and Instagram!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.
Interesting, and good news for those of us who are fans of the 717 (confession, I still think of it as an MD-95, the last of the Mad Dogs.)