Rockwell Collins joins battle of the broadbands

Rockwell Collins has entered the satellite broadband arena with the announcement that its Connexion by Boeing-based eXchange service will be launched next spring.

This will give corporate operators looking for office-quality communications on their aircraft a choice of no fewer than three providers. From the first quarter of next year the eXchange service from Rockwell Collins (booth 266) will be available on competition with SkyLink from Arinc (3169) and the Swift services from Inmarsat (4982).
 “eXchange hardware flew for the first time in the middle of last month and is in flight test now,” says Rockwell Collins senior director of business and regional systems marketing Tim Rayl. “Before the end of March we’ll turn the network on and start working the full service end-to-end, possibly in a beta trial with a first customer.”
That first taker could well be a Bombardier operator, Rayl says: “We’re installed on a Global 5000 and there’s provision on the Global Express.” For his money the operator will get a system offering not only 5Mbit/sec from the ground to the aircraft and 256kbit/sec in the opposite direction – ample for applications as demanding as videoconferencing – but also the ability to support Rockwell Collins’ Tailwind multi-region in-flight television service.
For a brand-new offering, eXchange is based on solid operational foundations. Satellite capacity is provided by Connexion by Boeing, which now serves nearly a dozen leading airlines, while the on-board hardware is integrated with the proven Tailwind 500 TV system.
The two capabilities – the cabin supervisor can switch passengers from one to the other with a command from the wired or wireless cabin distribution system (CDS) – are delivered to the aircraft through a single fin-top mechanically steered antenna developed for Rockwell Collins by New Hampshire-based AeroSat. Weighing 23.5lb (10.7kg) and with a swept volume of just 12in, the antenna is a key element of the eXchange system, Rayl says. “We think its performance is world-class, given the size of aperture we have to work with.”
The launch version of eXchange will offer two-way email and instant messaging, virtual private networks (VPN) and internet access, as well as a built-in television capability of its own. Supplementing Tailwind, which is available only over the land masses served by the direct broadcast satellite TV providers, this will use the capacious datalink to “stream” television programming on to the aircraft, allowing passengers to view selected channels in oceanic airspace. They will also be able to use the link simultaneously for services such as email and the internet, which is not possible when the system is switched over to Tailwind.
Geographical availability of eXchange will reflect that of the underlying Connexion footprint, which currently covers most of the northern hemisphere. The eXchange service will be initially available over North America, the North Atlantic, Europe and the Middle East. Pacific coverage is due in the fourth quarter of next year, with Asia to follow at the beginning of 2007.
The company is still putting the finishing touches to pricing, according to Rayl, but the broad outlines are largely settled. “We’re going to launch with monthly and yearly plans,” he says. “Typical packages will be for 10, 20 or 40 hours per month, and 250 or 500 hours per year. Depending on the size of their commitment, customers will pay per-minute charges ranging from $3-5.”
Rayl is frank about equipment costs. “Installed cost is in the neighbourhood of a million dollars – it all depends on exactly what you’re installing,” he says.

Source: Flight Daily News