6 Steps to Pick the Right Jet Connectivity Upgrade

While growing up, one of my daily chores was to go to the store after school and buy the staples needed for the family dinner. The store was family-owned and located on the ground floor of the shopkeeper’s flat. Choosing the milk, bread, eggs, and other ingredients was easy since there were very few options. 

Today, the supermarket has replaced the local store, and the range of products available can make choosing difficult. Which product represents the best value? Which is more nutritious, etc.? 

A decade ago, shopping for a Cabin Connectivity solution had the same look and feel to shopping at the local store. Based on what type aircraft you owned and what geographical region(s) you flew, the choices were essentially limited. 

Today, there is a multitude of options available for aircraft owners and operators to upgrade to, and over the next six months additional products will increase the list of solutions that are available. 

Don’t feel alone if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. But equally, if you’re planning an upgrade anytime soon, develop a strategy on how to narrow the list down to identify the best connectivity choice offering the best value for your business aircraft. 

Here, we’ll cover a comprehensive approach, discussing the different aspects when it comes to selecting the right jet connectivity solution from this crowded marketplace.

1. What are Your Expectations for Your Jet’s Next In-Flight Connectivity System?

The perfect place to start is to establish your expectations for the new connectivity solution. First, schedule a meeting with the primary passengers who utilize the aircraft so you can clearly understand their needs from a new cabin Wi-Fi system. 

In my experience, whether the aircraft is used primarily for business or pleasure the passengers will want a connectivity solution very similar to what they enjoy on the ground. 

Accessibility to emails and internet browsing are the usual initial requests but do press a little harder to get to the bottom of your passengers’ expectations. How important would the ability to stream content be, for example? 

Following are some common requests I hear from aircraft owners seeking a cabin connectivity upgrade: 

• Wi-F calling
• Video conferencing
• Social Media
• Music
• YouTube

Next, interrogate the feedback they give. While most would like a connectivity solution offering all of the above, it’s important to distinguish between ‘like to have’ and ‘must have’, since – where streaming is concerned – the costs of the systems and the monthly service charges can stretch any budget if they’re not controlled. 

Moreover, it is important to establish what websites passengers like to browse. Many popular websites have splash pages that take up a lot of bandwidth and are embedded with many video links. 

Without a full understanding of your regular passengers’ online habits, you could end up with an inadequate connectivity upgrade that’s unable to facilitate all of the functions they need to perform aboard the jet. 

If the aircraft is/could be hired out for charter use, you should also keep in mind the kind of experience charter passengers might expect. It would be worth speaking to a charter operator to learn about the most-requested items charter customers require of a cabin connectivity system these days.

2. Does Your Budget for In-Flight Connectivity Align?

Having established your regular passengers’ expectations, the next step in choosing the right cabin connectivity solution is to see if your perceived budget aligns with these.

Keep in mind, for example, that larger airframes flying internationally might require two systems to ensure proper coverage and provide redundancy. At a minimum, this will double the installation costs and require dual networks, resulting in two monthly service plans.

When it comes to establishing your budget there are a few factors you will also need to consider:

• Installation costs, including:
- Equipment
- Installation kits/Cabling
- Labor
- Certification
- Interior access (costs can easily exceed $20k). 

• Monthly Data charges:
-  All-inclusive streaming starts at $10k and can exceed $30k
-Plans that offer a set amount of data will be cheaper but beware of the overage charges. 

• Ancillary costs:
- Warranty for equipment is usually two years
- Replacing an out-of-warranty LRU can cost more than $50k. 

In addition, make sure you find out about a yearly maintenance plan to help offset any expensive surprises.

3. Consider the Required Coverage Area for Your Aircraft’s In-Flight Connectivity

Another crucial element to consider in the selection process is the coverage area of each solution – and not just viewed with the here-and-now in mind. 

I once came across a family who owned an aircraft which flew primarily within one continent. The connectivity solution worked well until they bought a vacation home on a remote island chain at which time they discovered the aircraft’s Wi-Fi could no longer meet all their needs. 

Similarly, many successful enterprises use business jets as productivity-enhancing tools as they grow to dominate their region. Their executive and sales teams remain productive en route to meetings thanks to an effective cabin connectivity solution. However, once those businesses set their sights on expansion into new territories, those connectivity solutions may need to be upgraded. 

The bottom line is this: When contemplating a cabin connectivity upgrade, don’t just think about the immediate need. If you foresee any need for a wider coverage area in the near- to mid-term, the solutions you consider should encompass this. 

Request coverage maps from all the connectivity providers you’re considering and be sure to read the fine print and footnotes to see through the best-case scenarios that will inevitably be presented.

Further Tips: 

• The type of antenna you select for a particular system will have a variance in the coverage area. 
• Pay attention to the color of the coverage area on the map. In many cases a different color means you need a specific antenna type, or the coverage is limited. It may also identify a ‘future’ coverage region that’s not yet available. 
• Watch out for ‘planned’ coverage alerts, because these could fail to materialize if the provider has a financial setback or perceives there is insufficient market demand.

4. Distinguish Between Available In-Flight Connectivity Systems’ Modification Potential 

‘Here today, gone tomorrow’. It’s a nice, catchy phrase if you’re talking about the weather. It’s a far uglier phrase when uttered in association with the cabin connectivity system you just installed in your business jet!

For better or worse, today’s technology can change in a flash making it important for you to select a connectivity solution that has an upgrade path.

When distinguishing between similar systems, look for those whose architecture allows for future modifications and subsequent enhancement without the need to replace the existing hardware.

Given the fact that the average operator keeps their aircraft for seven years, it is essential that you make sure the system you pick is the foundation for further affordable modifications when they are needed someday.

5. Compare the Ancillary Features of BizAv In-Flight Connectivity Solutions

The definition of cabin connectivity has changed somewhat in recent years. Many people traditionally viewed connectivity as a means of accessing the internet in-flight. But there are solutions available nowadays that provide much more, including a variety of ancillary features.

The ancillary features, while unlikely to feature high on the original list of regular passenger priorities (see Step 1), could prove to be a deciding factor between one system upgrade and another similar one. Examples include:

• 3D Moving Maps: May come as a value-added option with some systems at no additional cost. More enhanced maps will come with a nominal monthly fee, though. 
• Movies & TV Shows: Best compared to Netflix, some systems offer movie and TV content pre-loaded on the hard drive in the LRU. By connecting to the Wi-Fi a splash page is loaded, and passengers choose the movie or TV show they want to view eliminating the need to stream content at high cost. 
• Magazines: Digital content has eliminated the need for hard-copy magazines to be stowed aboard the aircraft, resulting in weight and space savings. Again, a wide range of the latest publications can be uploaded for passengers to peruse. 

6. Let Certification Guide Your Choice of In-Flight Connectivity Solution

Connectivity installations require a Type Certificate (TC) or a Supplement Type Certificate (STC) certification. Both will be specific to an airframe model.

One important thing to note is that an approved certification in one country may not be valid in another. STCs approved in the United States, for example, require submission, review, and approval in other countries.

Once you narrow your selection down to a few strong contenders for your next cabin connectivity upgrade, you should check that the system is approved for the country in which you plan to do the installation.

Adding an airframe to an STC is doable, but it will undoubtedly increase your downtime. Additionally, it might require your aircraft to go into the “experimental” category during the certification process, exposing your aircraft to more scrutiny from the local certification office…

Once You’ve Selected Your In-Flight Connectivity System, Vet the Installation Facility

Make no mistake, choosing the right installation facility for the upgrade is as important as selecting the right cabin connectivity system. When it comes to selecting the right MRO shop, you will need to ensure that they’re certified to do the upgrade and experienced in working on your airframe type.

Most MRO centers focus on a few airframes so they can make sure they are properly equipped, staffed and factory trained. There are some which try to cater to everyone, though – and in these cases you will need to be very careful to ask the right questions to establish their specific qualifications.

Regardless of the connectivity system you choose, if the installation facility is not properly trained and staffed with skilled avionics professionals, the performance your system delivers once it’s installed could fail to match your expectations. Worse still, you risk damage occurring to your aircraft if the MRO shop doesn’t have the right equipment to work on or around your jet.

Ask for testimonials from past customers with similar airframes from the MRO centers you are considering, and enquire about factory training, both on your aircraft model and the specific hardware installation.

Any credible installation facility will be delighted to share past experiences and encourage you to speak with other flight departments who used their services. For the ones that drag their feet on these requests, you can rest assured there is likely a good reason for you to pass…

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