Ottawa-based TrueNorth Avionics says that a version of its Simphone bizjet cabin communications system integrated with Inmarsat’s 432kbit/sec SwiftBroadband satellite service will be available from the third quarter of the year.
Simphone is a light, compact system designed to allow proprietary IP multimedia handsets to communicate with the ground via WiFi cabin wireless, an IP-based private branch exchange (PBX), and both Inmarsat and Iridium.
The system allows aircraft operators to manage all their airborne communications, both air-to-ground and intercom, through an easy-to-use menu-driven handset featuring a one-touch dialler for direct contact with the cockpit. A configuration module allows the handsets to be personalised, with individual screen images and ringtones.
The new Simphone Global Broadband comprises a 2MCU processor, a high-power amplifier and a low-profile antenna, total weight less than 20lb. Incorporating Chelton Satcom SwiftBroadband hardware, the system will support round-the-world voice and data communications throughout the entire flight regime, from ramp to cruising altitude. TrueNorth says that its compact form makes it suitable for installation in a wide range of business aircraft, from turboprops to the intercontinental types.
The company also offers a version – Simphone Prelude – that is sized specifically for the lower end of the market and says it has just started production deliveries. A single-LRU system with two channels that can support voice and, for example, BlackBerry data, Prelude can be upgraded to include WiFi and broadband. In basic form, with two handsets, it is priced at $24,900.
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