ThinKom Solutions, Inc. has obtained type approval to provide communications services across Avanti Communications’ fleet of HYLAS Ka-band satellites. This agreement covers ThinKom’s ThinAir Ka2517 antenna for commercial aviation and the GT 2517 full-spectrum terminal for government and military services.
Avanti’s fleet consists of four HYLAS Ka-band satellites, offering a capacity of 50 GHz and coverage to over 1.7 billion people in 118 countries. The company has a strong track record of supporting government and defense customers and is a trusted SATCOM provider to global government agencies, including those of the U.S. and UK.
ThinKom’s ThinAir terminals deliver high throughput on both the forward and return links across Avanti’s high-throughput beams. This capability allows government customers to have real-time data and communications for critical missions. It also provides an additional layer of Ka-band coverage redundancy for commercial and government missions.
One of the key benefits of ThinKom’s low-profile ThinAir terminals is that they enable more fuel-efficient aircraft activity, resulting in lower aircraft operating costs and extended time on station. The flight-proven reliability of the ThinAir systems also reduces aircraft downtime and component swap requirements for various mission deployments.
The ThinAir GT 2517 SATCOM aero terminal builds on ThinKom’s field-proven, patented VICTS phased-array technology. With over 40 million hours of accrued flight time and a mean-time-between-failure of over 100,000 hours, VICTS antennas are highly reliable. The ThinAir GT platform supports the full range of Ka-band frequencies, as well as various waveforms, such as DSSS, hopping waveforms, and PTW, providing increased flexibility for government communications missions.
Avanti’s satellite network consists of over 100 fixed beams, five steerable beams, and a cluster of eight steerable beams, delivering services across EMEA, Asia, and the Americas. The Ka2517 and GT 2517 terminals by ThinKom are already in service on commercial and government aircraft. ThinKom antennas have been providing continuous service on U.S. government aircraft since 2018.
With this type certification from Avanti, ThinKom expands its communication options by offering connectivity through another essential satellite constellation, thus further increasing its reach and capabilities for customers.
Both ThinKom Solutions and Avanti are committed to delivering secure and reliable connectivity to their customers and users, and this type approval contributes to fulfilling that mission.