This sponsored article was created by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing, on behalf of Skytrac.
The importance of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications cannot be overstated — prior to Iridium Certus, rotorcraft operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world struggled with reliable broadband connectivity.
Today, thanks in part to SKYTRAC’s leadership in midband and broadband connectivity solutions, not to mention its unwavering and constantly improving narrowband airtime and mission services, SKYTRAC is offering rotorcraft operators, OEMs, and integrators with reliable new capabilities.
SKYTRAC, an aerospace leader in satellite communications and intelligent connectivity, has dreamed of broadband connectivity since 1986 when a visionary group of aviators had the forethought of equipping aircraft with satellite tracking technology. Since the birth of the company, SKYTRAC has steadily grown its innovative technology solutions in multiple markets.
SKYTRAC’s work now helps aerial firefighters save forests, and search-and-rescue (SAR) teams navigate dangerous environments. It also provides coast guards and militaries with mission-critical capabilities, and helps empower humanitarian missions around the world.
With the development of SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus midband and broadband terminals, which feature low SWaP antennas and terminals, rotorcraft and eVTOL operators can enable powerful services, such as real-time video downlinking, higher throughput data for more intensive cockpit applications, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, and future capabilities that are limited only by imagination.
SKYTRAC’s narrowband foundation
A key foundation of SKYTRAC is its narrowband offering enabled by the powerful ISAT-200A satellite communications system. The ISAT-200A provides thousands of aircraft with automated flight following and mission monitoring, flight data monitoring (FDM), real-time exceedance alerting, automated post-flight data offloading — both for HUMS and FDM, voice and text messaging, flight data acquisition and storage, and satellite push-to-talk (PTT) communications.
True to its spirit of innovation, SKYTRAC has recently introduced a new capability through the narrowband spectrum: medical data transfer. Operators leveraging ZOLL or corpuls patient monitoring systems can stream 12-lead patient reports directly to hospitals or receiving centers, providing valuable information to physicians ahead of the patient’s arrival. This information allows for fast, decisive responses for medical teams with patients in critical care.
“Air medical operators are no strangers to flying in remote and rural regions that require satellite connectivity when cellular infrastructure isn’t present,” said Jan van der Heul, vice president of sales and marketing at SKYTRAC. “With dynamic medical data transfer, first responders can ensure reliable connectivity, which can often be the difference between a positive outcome and a very negative one.”
SKYTRAC’s evolution into Certus
SKYTRAC’s midband and broadband Iridium Certus bandwidth, made possible by the versatile SkyLink 7100, which features up to 22/88 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside built-in 4G/LTE cellular connectivity, and its flagship SDL-350 satellite communications system, which features up to 352/704 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside a powerful built-in CPU, GPU, and an expansive array of input/output interfaces, has positioned the company for significant growth in both existing and new markets.
In existing markets like aerial firefighting and SAR, SKYTRAC meets the demand for operators and OEMs seeking capabilities such as video downlinking and sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, which were previously limited due to technical limitations with geosynchronous satellite networks.
In emerging markets like urban air mobility (UAM) and the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) segment, SKYTRAC provides global connectivity for applications such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) communications and command and control (C2), ensuring operators have total visibility of their assets.
For operators seeking to increase situational awareness, the SkyLink 7100 is making itself known as the ideal solution for advanced cockpit connectivity. Its 4G/LTE cellular connectivity and midband Iridium Certus provides pilots with global electronic flight bag (EFB) connectivity that integrates easily with cockpit applications such as ForeFlight. With bandwidth ranging from 22 Kbps to 704 Kbps, Iridium Certus offers weather-resilient L-band connectivity as the only truly global mobile satellite service available, Van der Heul said.
“Iridium Certus is a flexible, evolving platform with a variety of service classes that match specific customer requirements,” he said. “This increased bandwidth represents a significant improvement over narrowband and much faster, more resilient communications from anywhere on the planet.”
Looking ahead, it appears advances at SKYTRAC won’t be slowing any time soon.
“As SKYTRAC continues to develop new capabilities and products that leverage the Iridium Certus network, customers can expect new mission services that increase safety and efficiency for operators, passengers, and onboard crew in nearly all segments of aviation,” Van der Heul said.
