Airtel SATCOM IPS flight trials
Airtel was involved in the recent flight trails as part of the IPS R&D programme. The Project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and implemented by Inmarsat (now Viasat). The primary objective of the trails is to demonstrate the SATCOM communication channel for the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS). These trials serve as a technical demonstration of the system’s capabilities.
Other key participants in the programme include:
- CGI
- Frequentis
- Honeywell
Iris is powered by Viasat’s SwiftBroadband–Safety (SB-S) technology, and extends the use of SATCOM in continental high density traffic airspace for the support of ATS data communications (namely ATN-B1 and ATS-B2 services).
Airtel’s contribution to the tests
As a key participant in the IRIS R&D programme, Airtel played a critical role in this testing providing:
- Technical Contributions:
- Providing IPS/OSI Gateway and ATN/OSI ground applications.
- Supporting flight trials from the ground by managing applications and monitoring the gateway’s performance.
- Operational Support:
We actively drive the applications during the tests and ensure the ground systems operate seamlessly.
Outcome of the Test
This was the third flight trial and it was focused on testing ATN applications. Other ongoing flights in the programme are dedicated to evaluating:
- SATCOM bandwidth performance
- Latency
- Traffic prioritisation
Unlike these tests, which use benchmarking software, this trial directly validated ATN application functionality. The outcome of the trail was largely successful and it has galvanized us moving forward.
To find out more about the IRIS 3 project
Find out more about Airtel ATN
