Inmarsat Jet ConneX business data packages unveiled

Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX data packages. Image: Satcom Direct.

The monthly data packages available to business aviation users of Inmarsat’s Ka-band Jet ConneX service have now been made public.

Jet ConneX (JX) is the name given to the business aviation inflight connectivity service being delivered by Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network.

“Get Connected” revealed in October that the packages were likely to feature a maximum information rate” (MIR) and a bundled monthly Gigabyte amount. This now seems to be the case.

The MIR is the maximum data speed that JX users are likely to see to their aircraft from Inmarsat’s three I-5 satellites.

Six packages will now be offered for the JX service.

Click here to view an enlarged version, which comes courtesy of Satcom Direct.

It outlines MIR speeds from 3-15Mbps, with monthly data packages running from 25-95Gb. It is believed there will be a maximum monthly “carry over” allowance of half the specified Gb limit.

The idea is that business operators will pick the package that best suits their needs. Fixed monthly fees will simply budgeting too.

Honeywell’s Jack Jacobs and its tail-mounted MCS-8000 GX antenna.

The maximum speed of 15Mbps may come as a surprise to some. The tail-mounted Honeywell MCS-8000 had originally been touted as being capable of delivering up to 30Mbps to the aircraft.

Inmarsat GX

The 15Mbps limit may look more like Inmarsat capping the maximum speed to safeguard satellite bandwidth rather than a limitation of the antenna.

And it looks like VVIP and head of state (HOS) users, on aircraft equipped with Honeywell’s MCS-8200 fuselage-mounted antenna, will also be capped at 15Mbps.

This antenna is said to be capable of 40-50Mbps to the aircraft, at least for air transport users.

As reported elsewhere on this site, a number of companies are currently working on obtaining STCs for a range of VVIP/HOS aircraft types from both Boeing and Airbus.

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