AIRIA, a venture of London-based Inmarsat Ventures, is forging ahead with plans to provide cost-effective, live television services onboard aircraft.

The latest step forward involved the delivery of transmission equipment for use at Telenor Satellite Services’ (TSS) Southbury, Conn.-based earth station. AIRIA’s intent is to provide live TV globally by transmitting multimedia signals via the Telenor earth stations to in-orbit Inmarsat satellites and then to aircraft.

This would not require the launch of any new satellites or the installation of any new antennae onboard aircraft, AIRIA officials said. Instead, Inmarsat’s satellite network and the Inmarsat Aero H/H+ antenna already onboard most modern long-haul airliners would be used to provide the service.

Telenor also has earth stations in Eik, Norway, and Santa Paula, Calif. They would provide communications above the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions. That earth station network should provide the coverage needs of the world’s long-haul airlines, Telenor officials said.

SPCI, a Canadian company that specializes in the manufacture of ground and airborne communications products, is providing the earth station transmission system that will enable airlines to provide live television to passengers at a low cost, said Mike Gertsman, SPCI’s president and CEO.

–Paul Dykewicz