Beginning in the first quarter of 2019, Viasat's high speed, high capacity service on the Ka-band frequency is expected to be available to all G280 operators as a completions and retrofit option.

Gulfstream senior vice president, programmes, engineering and test Dan Nale says: “Our G280 customers will be able to quickly access connectivity, content and services on their personal devices virtually anywhere they fly. Viasat's Ka-band solution will deliver the wi-fi speed, coverage and reliability they've come to expect from Gulfstream.”

Initial connectivity speeds are expected to be up to 16 Mbps, with the potential to increase as Viasat expands its network capacity with additional satellite services. The Ka-band service can support multiple passengers and their devices through all phases of flight and includes video streaming for conferencing, real-time TV and movies, faster internet browsing and faster email.

Vice president mid-cabin programmes Rick Trusis adds: “G280 owners want their internet experience to mimic what they have on the ground. Viasat's Ka-band connectivity system will meet those needs by delivering the connection speed, performance and reliability our mid-sized business jet customers expect.”

New G280s can be equipped during production. Initial speeds offered should be 16 Mbps, and Viasat expects those speeds to increase as it brings more capacity online. In addition, Viasat will offer a live TV streaming feature that will give passengers the ability to watch live TV, content and entertainment on their portable electronic devices without affecting their data plan.

Viasat vice president network services Jerry Goodwin comments: “Being named Gulfstream's connectivity provider on the G280 airframe is a great milestone for our company, and a true testament to the strength of our technology and service offering. We have full confidence that our high capacity satellites, both those available today and those that are planned for future launches, will ensure business jet owners can meet their connectivity expectations anywhere they fly.”

New G280 aircraft equipped with Viasat's Global Aero Terminal 5510 will tap into the Viasat-1, Viasat-2 and European Ka-band satellite platforms today, and will be forward-compatible with Viasat's future generation satellite constellation Viasat-3 with no additional hardware upgrades. Viasat-3 is an ultra high capacity satellite platform comprised of three Viasat-3 class satellites offering global coverage. Each Viasat-3 satellite is expected to deliver one terabit per second capacity, which is more than the total network capacity of the approximately 400 commercial communications satellites in space today combined.