September 11, 2001
Brisbane, Australia,—ARINC today announced that Inmarsat's new
Swift64, the high-speed satellite communications service for
aeronautical users, will be the newest offering of the GLOBALink/InFlight
services. Swift64 will provide 64 kilobit clear-channel mobile
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) beginning in the
second quarter, 2002. A 64-kilobit shared-channel Mobile Packet
Data Service (MPDS) will be available in the second half of
2002. Users can enjoy benefits of their current Aero-H/H+
service in parallel with high-speed Swift64 service for e-mail,
file transfer, and Web access, all through the existing aircraft
high-gain satellite antenna.
"We see the Inmarsat Swift64 service as providing a
viable step for aircraft owners to incrementally evolve toward
higher and higher speed voice, data, and wireless IP mobile
communications," said Carl Wheatley, Director of ARINC's
GLOBALink/InFlight Communications. "The technology is
proven and available through a nominal avionics upgrade to users
of current Aero-H and Aero-H+ service. The hybrid of Swift64 for
cabin and corporate aircraft communications, coupled with
Aero-H/H+ for AOC/ATC communications, provides a streamlined
approach to bring higher functionality, throughput-intensive
applications to the aircraft," said Wheatley.
The Swift64 service will be available to users on a
stand-alone basis, although plans to support data link
communications services through Swift64 are dependent on
Inmarsat technical development. Mobile ISDN users are charged on
a per-minute basis for direct-to-ground connections or on a
subscription basis with connections through aircraft onboard
servers.
Aero-H/H+ is an Inmarsat safety approved service enabling
long-range and oceanic flight deck communications for pilots.
ARINC is unique in the industry in offering a full spectrum of
globally integrated voice and data flight deck and cabin
communications services, including all Inmarsat satellite
services, VHF/VDL data link, and high-frequency data link.
ARINC owns and operates one of the most extensive private
communications networks in the world. ARINC pioneered the use of
civil aviation data link in 1978 and was the first to offer the
delivery of air traffic service messages over data link.
The ARINC satellite service, GLOBALink/InFlight, was the
first universally available transoceanic/long-range satellite
communications service to support the flight safety and
operational requirements of civil aviation.
Providing reliable, worldwide satellite communications,
GLOBALink/ InFlight is approved by the Federal Aviation
Administration and other civil aviation authorities for air
traffic services communications, including automatic dependent
surveillance and controller-pilot data link communications.
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