Viasat Eliminates Ka-band Speed Limits for Business Aviation IFC

Photo: Viasat IFC

Viasat removed internet speed limits delivered to the aircraft across all of its business aviation Ka-band service plans. Additionally, the company has doubled its minimum committed internet speed to the aircraft for the same Ka-band service plans.

Viasat’s elimination of Ka-band speed maximums helps enable a better experience for passengers and crew to simultaneously use business-critical productivity and entertainment apps such as video-conferencing, accessing VPN/cloud content, email, high-definition streaming services, live TV and more — through all phases of flight — across the world’s most heavily traveled flight routes. Ka-band customers also have the option to subscribe to Viasat Unlimited Streaming, which allows passengers to access online media services without impacting monthly data allowances.

“Over the last few years, business aviation service plans have evolved to include bigger data allowances and higher Maximum Information Rates (MIR) and Committed Information Rates (CIR) as service providers react to ever increasing data requirements. As we emerge from COVID-19, these requirements will go up another notch with corporations transporting more of their employees through so-called health corridors and passengers having become more accustomed to using bandwidth-intensive applications like video-telephony and subscription-based streaming services during lockdown,” states Craig Foster of Valour Consultancy. “Viasat’s decision to remove speed caps entirely means that it will be poised to support the increase in demand and an overall improved passenger experience.”